Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan on Tuesday alleged that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina looted the country’s economy and left it in a state of near-collapse.
“Previous governments had rulers, but those elected in this election will be servants of the people, not rulers. The government came to power empty-handed. Hasina looted the country’s economy and brought it almost to zero,” he said.
The minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a foundation-stone laying ceremony for a one-storey building with a four-storey foundation at Aisara High School in Basail upazila of Tangail.
He said Dr Muhammad Yunus’s government had failed to revive the economy during its 18 months in office and had even faced uncertainty over paying salaries in its final month. Despite the economic challenges, he said, the government had launched several social welfare programs, including family cards, farmer cards and health cards.
“Family card distribution will begin within the next two to three months. Every mother in every household will receive a card,” he said, adding that the program would require hundreds and thousands of crores of taka in government spending.
Ahmed Azam Khan also said the government was working to make existing community clinics operational and establish new ones in areas where they are unavailable, so that people could receive treatment for minor illnesses locally without travelling to cities.
Among others, Basail UNO Md Iqbal Hossain, Basail Police Station OC Alamgir Kabir, former Tangail district BNP joint general secretary Abul Kashem Mia, and acting Basail upazila BNP president Mamun Al Jahangir attended the program.
