US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas on Tuesday highly appreciated the Covid-19 management and vaccination programme of Bangladesh, saying this is a “remarkable efficiency” and “really amazing”.
He said that US wants to make partnership with Bangladesh in “Global Covid Action Plan” on working out future situation of the pandemic.
“A US-Bangladesh ministerial-level special session, along with other stake holders, would be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly,” said Haas.
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“Bangladesh is clearly ahead of the United States in vaccination programmes under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This is really amazing and the efficiency is remarkable,” he said.
The envoy made these remarks when he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban here.
Briefing the press Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher said that Haas appreciated transformation of Bangladesh under the leadership of Hasina saying, “it is really exciting”.
In this connection, he also mentioned that Bangladesh graduated to a developing nation from LDCs under Hasina’s leadership. “It will continue to uplift further,” he believed.
Regarding the success in tackling Covid-19 pandemic, the premier said her party and associate organisations handled the pandemic situation efficiently from the beginning by working around the clock during which they raised awareness, served the patients and distributed medicines and oxygen.
She said when the vaccine has become available, her government has provided first, second and booster doses free of cost to the people. Now, the government is administering vaccine to the children, she added.
In this connection, 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.
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Sheikh Hasina said that she herself communicated with all at that time.
She expressed her sincere gratefulness to the US President Joe Biden for contributing vaccine to Bangladesh. “Please convey my thanks to the President,” she told the ambassador.
Mentioning that people are suffering due to Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine war and western sanctions, Sheikh Hasina said that they are trying to work for the people with full affordability.
Regarding the graduation from LDC, she said her government, after winning the election in 2008, had taken different measures to uplift Bangladesh to a developing nation. “Despite the setback of Covid-19, Russina-Ukraine war and sanctions, Bangladesh will continue to uplift.”
To this end, the premier also highlighted the measures taken by her government for the marginalised people in the society in changing their fates.
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 Ahmad Kaikaus, among others, were present.
Source: United News of Bangladesh