BNP on Tuesday demanded that army be entrusted with the responsibility to make the list of marginalised people and distribute relief and government other assistance for ensuring transparency and checking irregularities.
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain made the demand at an online press briefing.
“I think an extended list should be prepared so that the most affected people can get the relief materials. The lists of the benefices of VGF, TR, freedom fighters and elderly people’s programmes are already there with the government. The daily-wage earners, poor and low-income people should be included in the list,” he said.
The BNP leader further said, “If the armed forces members are given this responsibility, they’ll properly make the list. The needy people will be befitted and can survive if all the relief materials and other assistance are distributed through the direct supervision of the army and police.
He said it is the main duty of the government to contain the coronavirus and protect people from dying from starving. “We’ll also have to play a role alongside the government in this regard.”
Referring to media reports on irregularities in distribution of relief materials and misappropriation of those by ruling party leaders and public representatives, he said it is not possible to transparently distribute the relief by the ruling party men as they have become accustomed to misappropriation over the last 12 years. “The government has realised it as they stopped the selling of OMS rice on Monday.”
Mosharraf, also former health minister, suggested the government to increase the test of Covid-19 suspects as much as possible to quickly identify the affected people and thus protect others from possible infection.
He also urged the government to better equip hospitals immediately with sufficient ICU beds and ventilators to tackle the growing number of corona patients and save their lives.
The BNP leader also called upon the government to give more incentives for the frontline corona warriors like health workers, army and other law enforcers to encourage them effectively tackle the situation and save people from the virus.
source: UNB
