Newly elected mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Atiqul Islam has criticized city dwellers for not doing their part to create a clean and planned city needed to fight the dengue menace.
“Some people from Bangladesh go abroad and follow the law religiously because they would be fined otherwise. However, the same people dump trash on the streets and do not follow traffic rules when they are here. I do not think these people love their country,” said the mayor.
He made the comments while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar held to create awareness about coronavirus and the dengue outbreak, organized by Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) at its campus in Bashundhara Residential Area on Wednesday.
Referring to those who come to Dhaka to pull rickshaws for a living, the mayor said: "Sometimes they throw trash in the open without knowing that others are suffering because of their acts. However, I also see people in cars throwing waste on the streets."
Stating that there was no alternative to making people follow the law, Atiqul urged Dhaka residents to do their part by at least cleaning their own houses, rooftops and premises to curb Aedes mosquito breeding this year.
Echoing the mayor, Dr Milan Pagon, acting vice chancellor of IUB, shed light on the importance of debunking the myths and identifying misinformation about coronavirus (COVID-19).
He said: "We have to stay alert about the coronavirus infodemic. The spread of malicious disinformation regarding the deadly virus in social media platforms like 'coronavirus is a bio weapon' -- is creating panic among people," said Milan.
Professor Dr Sanya Tahmina, additional director general at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said Bangladesh is a densely populated country and therefore it would be very difficult for a coronavirus outbreak to be tackled in Bangladesh, if there was any.
“However, we can take in at least 100 COVID-19 patients as we have prepared a 100-bed ward at the Kurmitola General Hospital, Dhaka," she said.
