Bangladesh to ensure Covid vaccine for all: HPM Sheikh Hasina

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said she had instructed the authorities concerned to inoculate the people massively with Covid-19 vaccines to ensure protection of all.

‘We have started purchasing vaccines. Inoculation has already started. We have to ensure massive vaccination so that all the people of our country are protected. We have already given instruction to this end,’ she said.

The prime minister said this in a function on the occasion of the National Public Service Day and distribution of the Public Administration Award 2020 and 2021, organised by the Public Administration Ministry at the Osmani Memorial auditorium in Dhaka.

Joining the function virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital, she called upon the public servants to work for the welfare of the country and its people, announcing actions for wrongdoings and awards for good works.

She reiterated her vow to spend as much money as required to purchase the required doses of vaccines to make sure that none remains out of the inoculation.

Mentioning that as many as 1.87 crore people have so far been brought under the vaccination, she said that her government would purchase vaccines for all, including students and teachers, and continue the inoculation until everyone comes under the vaccination campaign.

‘We will produce vaccines in the future so that the people of the country face no more difficulties,’ she added.

The prime minister said that Bangladesh is currently facing hurdles in every sector, particularly in social, economic and education sectors, adding that they have to pay attention to overcome impediments at the quickest possible time.

She asked the government officials to make people aware to abide by the health guidelines to check further transmission of the coronavirus.

The prime minister earlier unveiled covers of two memorial books, editions of writings of the public servants regarding initiatives taken by Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mijibur Rahman for the development of the public administration.

On behalf of the prime minister, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque distributed gold medals, cheques, crests and certificates among the winners of the Public Administration Awards of 2020 and 2021.

As many as 10 awards were given to the officials while one to an organisation at the national level and five awards among officials at the district level for 2020 while 11 awards were given to officials and two organizations at the national level and seven awards to the officials at the district level for 2021.

State minister for public administration ministry Farhad Hossain and cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam also spoke at the function while senior secretary of the ministry KM Ali Azam gave the welcome address.

A video documentary on the activities of the public administration was screened on the occasion.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is now advancing towards prosperity due to tireless efforts of the government officials despite some troubles created by Covid-19 pandemic.

Many people from the public administration and law enforcement agencies alongside leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League have sacrificed their lives while rendering services to the grassroots people amid the pandemic, she said and prayed for salvation of their departed souls.

Referring to the speech of Sheikh Mujib, the prime minister called upon the government officials to work with professionalism, honesty and dedication for the welfare of the country and its people as serving the nation and the people is the biggest task.

Stating that relatives of the government officials are residing at different parts of the country, she said they would get as much benefits as the country will develop. ‘So, work for the country keeping it in mind,’ she advised.

The prime minister asked the government officials to pay special attention to implement the national budget that was announced amid the pandemic as well as the development projects maintaining their due standards.

She also asked the public servants to take care of the matter so that no unnecessary projects are taken as they know well which projects will be beneficial for the people as they are working at the field level.

The prime minister sounded a note of warnings of taking stern action for wrongdoings alongside announcing rewards for good jobs.

‘I say as you will get rewards for good jobs likewise you will get no mercy if you indulge yourselves in bad works. They have to go through tougher punishment. This discipline must be in there and this is the rule. We will definitely do it,’ she said.

The Prime Minister said that the present world is changing constantly with the invention of newer technologies and urged the public servants to cope with the constantly changing technologies.

She greeted the government officials for winning the Public Administration Awards for their innovative ideas, saying that the innovations of today will benefit the future generation.

Sheikh Hasina also highlighted the success of the digital Bangladesh initiative, saying it was the brainchild of her ICT affairs adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

The prime minister said, running the state particularly in this corona pandemic situation could have been impossible had digital Bangladesh not been implemented.

Sheikh Hasina said that July 27 was a special day for her as her only son Joy was born on this day in 1971.