DHAKA,  – Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today urged the BNP to stand by the poor and destitute people amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic without making hateful falsehood against the government.

He came up with the call while speaking at a press conference held at his official residence here.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said the ruling AL has stood beside the country’s people during the pandemic, while the BNP is staying inside home.

He said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is issuing peculiar and imaginary statements claiming that the BNP remains beside the people, which is an attempt to hide their failures.

Mentioning that the people do not believe in such statements, the AL general secretary said the BNP leaders are practicing Goebbels-style sentences from isolation staying in their home corners.

Seeing any crisis, it is now clear to the people that the BNP leaders are always wrapped up like snails and look for a safe passage, he said.

Responding to an allegation of BNP leaders over the COVID-19 infections and death tolls, Quader said all the processes from the registration of COVID-19 samples to issuing certificates are being accomplished using technology and various apps, where there is no scope for concealing information.

About the reopen of garment industry, he said Mirza Fakhrul, on the one hand, spoke about the interest of the workers and on the other hand, he opposed the reopen of the garment industry.

The road transport minister said Vietnam has already surpassed Bangladesh in the RMG export in the world market.

“The garment export of the country has decreased due to disruption of RMG production during the COVID-19 crisis and in this context, we do not want the export orders to be canceled in any way. The government is trying to keep the wheel of the economy smooth by keeping the pace with lives and livelihoods of people,” he said.

Quader said the government is taking decisions considering the future and welfare of the country in consultation with experts.

He said there is no vaccine crisis now in the country, but a vested quarter continues ill-effort to demoralise people to this end.

According to the government’s plan, on the one hand, the vaccination programme will continue and the vaccines will continue to come in the country on the other hand, the minister said, adding that there is no room for creating doubt in this regard.

He said the government has already made necessary preparations to launch the mass vaccination programme at village level from August 7 next.

Quader asked the leaders and workers of the AL district, upazila, municipality, union and ward units and its affiliated organisations to cooperate with the administration to make the mass inoculation programme a success.