US envoy calls on PM, lauds Covid handling in Bangladesh

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas today highly appreciated Bangladesh’s Covid-19 handing and vaccination programme, saying that those were “remarkable” and “really amazing”.

The US wants to make partnership with Bangladesh in “Global Covid Action Plan” on working out future situation of the pandemic, the envoy said as he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban here.

“A minister level special session of US-Bangladesh along with other stake holders would be held in the sidelines of UN General Assembly,” Haas said.

“Bangladesh is clearly ahead of the United States (US) in vaccination programmes under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This is really amazing and the efficiency is remarkable,” he added.

Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher while briefing the reporters after the meeting said that Haas appreciated transformation of Bangladesh under the leadership of sheikh Hasina, saying,”…it is really exciting”.

In this connection, he also mentioned that Bangladesh graduated to developing nation from LDCs under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership. “It will continue to uplift further,” he believed.

Regarding the success in tackling Covid-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister said her party and associate organisations handled the pandemic situation efficiently from the beginning by working round the clock in raising awareness, serving the patients, and distributing medicine and oxygen.

She said when the vaccine was available, her government provided first, second and booster doses to the people free of cost. Now, the government is administering vaccine to the children, she added.

She said that she formed a committee under the Prime Minister’s office to coordinate with the other ministries and stake holders for handling Covid-19 vaccination scheme, which worked really well.

Sheikh Hasina said that she herself communicated with all at that time.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her sincere gratefulness to US President Joe Biden for contributing vaccine to Bangladesh. “Please convey my thanks to the President,” she requested the ambassador.

Mentioning that people are suffering due to Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine war and the Western sanction, Sheikh Hasina said that they are trying to work for the people with full affordability.

Regarding the LDC graduation, she said her government, after winning the election in 2008, took different measures to uplift Bangladesh as a developing nation. “Despite the setback of Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine war and sanction, Bangladesh will continue to uplift,” she hoped.

The premier also highlighted the measures taken by her government for the marginalised people in the society in changing their fates.

Sheikh Hasina said that her government is working following the footsteps of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to change the fate of marginalised people.

Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin and Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, among others, were present. (BSS)