Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged people across the country to keep their surroundings clean in order to prevent dengue.
Hasina, also Awami League president, gave the instruction on Tuesday, talking to party leaders over the phone during an emergency meeting at the party’s central office in Gulistan.
Although the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) says only eight people have so far died from dengue, the unofficial tally of reported deaths stood at 42 until Tuesday morning.
The prime minister, who is now in London for treatment, also ordered party leaders and activists to launch a countrywide cleaning campaign and drives to tackle the dengue outbreak.
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Awami League called an emergency meeting with mayors of both the city corporations of Dhaka, lawmakers, and Dhaka city unit leaders.
The prime minister said: “Dengue has spread across the country. During the Eid vacation this disease may spread more through holiday makers.”
She also said that everyone should be aware about the situation.
“I urge everyone [to] please clean your house, office, and surroundings. Make sure water cannot [get] stuck anywhere,” said Hasina.
In the context of the recent rash of attacks across the country on people suspected of child abduction, she also urged people not to pay heed to rumours and to hand over rumour-mongers to the police.
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“Please do not pay heed to the rumours and do not take the law into [your] own hands. Instead, hand over to the police, those spreading rumours, ,” she said.
The prime minister said a vested quarter is getting people beaten to death by spreading rumours.
“A mother was beaten to death due to rumours and what is the situation of her child today?” she said.
“I am urging all to not take the law into their own hands. If you think anyone is guilty, do not to beat them to death but hand [them] over to the police,” she added.
Hasina, also the Awami League president, said that upon investigation, proper action will be taken against those found guilty.
The prime minister also expressed deep concern about the pasteurized milk crisis.
She said: “Suddenly a professor just conducted research but I do not know what sort of test was carried out by the respected professor or why a writ was lodged in court.”
There is a shortage of milk in the market and livelihoods of those who earn a living by their farms are in jeopardy, she said. The shortage stems from a recent court ordered ban of many popular milk brands in the market
Since imported powder milk is never analyzed, there is speculation about possible malpractice on the part of milk importers too, she added.
The premier also instructed her party to stand beside flood affected people in their hour of need, with disastrous flooding sweeping across the country.
