Quader urges people to have patience

Calling upon the people to remain calm, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said the process to bring effective medicine to eliminate Aedes mosquito is underway.

Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, made the call while addressing a dengue prevention programme in front of the party’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka this noon.

“We are consulting with expert physicians so that no dysfunctional medicine can enter our country from abroad. Please have a little patience,” Quader said.

He further said that the probability of importing effective medicine to eliminate and to prevent spreading of dengue disease is being rectified in line with the suggestions of the experts.

The Awami League leader also called upon the people to come forward to tackle the dengue situation through united efforts and said, “We think, it is a human crisis and people from all classes and professions should come forward.”

Meanwhile, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam at a programme in Uttara area of Dhaka today said that the sample of insecticide for effective control of Aedes mosquito will be brought from abroad by a day or two.

Responding to a query whether the dengue has taken an epidemic turn in the country, Quader said the disease has already spread.    

“It’s real and true and we have no way to deny the reality that the dengue has spread all over the country. We have undertaken the issue seriously,” the minister said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also called upon the people from all walks of life to fight for preventing the mosquito menace and its spreading in the country, he said.

“Let’s come forward continuing fight against the deadly mosquitoes through a united manner. Our fight against the deadly fever will remain continue,” he said.

When asked who the two city corporations and health and local government ministries work to take the situation under control, Quader said the prime minister has directed them to work collectively and they are doing their jobs accordingly through conducting awareness building campaigns to prevent spreading of the mosquito.   

He also criticised BNP for its acts of handing over leaflets in the name of carrying out mosquito prevention activities and asked them to come up with a collective action to prevent the dengue outbreak.

Along with the government, Quader said, Awami League has also taken action to engage people in tackling the situation.

AL Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, AL Organizing Secretaries — Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Hoque Shamim, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, BM Mozammel Haque and AFM Bahauddin Nasim – AL Science and Technology Affairs Secretary Abdus Sabur, Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, Information and Research Secretary Afjal Hossain, Dhaka City South AL President Abul Hasnat and General Secretary Shahe Alam Murad were present on the occasion.