Fakhrul criticises health minister over health sector failures

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the health minister was such a shameless person that even though his own party's people, along with opposition party men and even the citizens, were speaking out against him, he would still not resign.

Referring to the MPs' statement against Health Minister Zahid Maleque in Parliament on Saturday over failures of the health sector, Fakhrul said the health minister was unabashed.

"When the corruption of his ministry is proven, his picture was published with those convicted of corruption…," said Fakhrul.

It is unfortunate that the country has such a terrible anti-people government which is destroying all its achievements, he said, adding, they are still in government and in good health.

When people's lives are being lost from coronavirus, corruption is going on in the health sector, said Fakhrul while addressing a virtual discussion meeting organised by Dhaka Union of Journalists.

"We have been saying from the beginning that the hospitals in the district should be provided with adequate number of ICU beds, oxygen and medicines. Unfortunately 52% of the hospitals do not have any ICU beds."

Highlighting the current state of the media, he said, "If journalists criticise the government so much in the media, they are being subjected to various forms of torture, including extreme torture through the Digital Security Act.

"I have seen that in the last six months, about 150 journalists have been sued under the Digital Security Act for writing only the truth," added Fakhrul.

Members of the opposition on Saturday criticised Zahid Maleque in parliament, going so far as to call for his resignation, over the oxygen crisis during the coronavirus pandemic and irregularities in the health sector.

One of the members of parliament called the minister shameless and demanded his resignation.

The MPs raised the issue as point of order on the last day of the budget session in parliament.