Appoint spokesperson for rescue operations
Appoint spokesperson for rescue operations
PM tells home ministry after Jihad's death in a well, criticises media's role; a condolence meeting however blames govt failure for the 4yr-old's death; Ecnec okays Tk 199cr fire department upgrading budget
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the home ministry to designate a spokesperson, who will brief the media from time to time in situations like the rescue operation of four-year-old Jihad, who died in a deep well on Friday.
In such cases, the media and people flock to the scene, breaking the concentration of the rescue team, she was quoted as saying at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in NEC auditorium.
Hasina expressed astonishment that journalists were asking questions to the rescue team members while they were trying to rescue Jihad, and that they were responding.
She also asked the ministry to issue a public statement in such incidents.
The PM, however, did not say anything about the fire service's failure.
Three youths recovered the body of Jihad in Shahjahanpur Railway Colony, in less than an hour after the rescue officials called off the operation after 23 hours.
Meanwhile, speakers at a condolence meeting said the government's inefficiency led to Jihad's death.
The government officials lied to the nation and tortured Jihad's father, uncle and playmates to cover up their failure, they said at the capital's Jatiya Press Club where the three youths--Shah Md Abdullah Al Moon, Shafikul Islam Faruq and Sujan Das Rahul--were honoured. Nagorik Oikya organised the programme.
At the Ecnec meeting, a project titled “Modernisation of Fire Service and Civil Defence” was approved, said a planning ministry official. The Tk 199 crore project will make the fire service and civil defence time-befitting and modernised.
In a statement, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said taking lessons from the sad death of Jihad and Rana Plaza collapse, the government had taken an initiative to make the fire service more modernised so that such unwanted incidents could be averted.
Kamal said he would officially thank those who came forward to Jihad's rescue.
Four rescue command vehicles, among others, will be procured under the fire service modernisation project, said officials.
The Ecnec approved 11 projects yesterday involving Tk 7,017 crore that included a natural gas efficiency project at Titas and Narsinghdi fields for the gas sector development.
The ministry statement said more gas would be produced on completion of the project.