PM orders govt employees to wear masks
Press conference on Sunday
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered all personnel at government offices to start wearing masks as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. The Premier issued the order at a time when the numbers of patients and casualties have been increasing in the country. The PMs Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim confirmed this over tele phone yesterday. The PM has ordered government officials and employees to wear masks for added safety against the virus, he said.
Even as the general holiday was extended from April 4 to April 11, a number of government offices, including the home affairs ministry, the Cabinet Division, and the health ministry, have been working.
Yesterday, the government included newspapers and fuel within the category of emergency services by amending a notification issued by the public administration ministry.
Press conference on stimulus package
Meanwhile, the PM will address a press conference on Sunday on announcement of stimulus package to cope with the possible adverse economic impact on the country due to outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
The press conference will be held at 10am at Ganabhaban, the official residence of the premier, the PMs Press Secretary told BSS.
He said the decision was taken at a meeting on the announcement of incentive package at Ganabhaban in the evening with PM Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, PMs Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, Senior Secretary of the Finnace Ministry Abdur Rouf Talukder, Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazley Kabir and PMO Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Mian were present at the meeting, among others.
PMO bins propagation about house rent, bank loan
The government has binned propagation on social media about waiving of house rents, postponement of bank loan and electricity bills for three months and declaration of a one-month holiday in all offices.
This propagation is completely false and fabricated, Ihsanul Karim said in a statement.
He said those spreading the rumour were committing crimes, which would be dealt with severely and stringent legal action will be taken against them.
The PMO spokesmans statement came as rumours were being spread on social media claiming that decisions were being taken to waive house rents, postpone bank loans and electricity bills for three months and declare a one-month holiday in all offices. Karim further said the PM herself will inform the nation about the steps her government took to combat the deadly virus.
