‘You may be exposed to coronavirus on the way home and infect loved ones’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged countrymen not to put their near and dear ones' lives at risk, as they rush to village homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.

"I know people are rushing to their villages ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. You may be exposed to coronavirus on the ferry or in the vehicle on your way -- as you don't know who is infected -- and you could infect your father, mother, grandparents, brother, sister and others. You could infect them and put their lives at risk," she said.

She simultaneously called for taking precautionary measures to be protected from the variant found in a neighbouring country that has claimed many lives.

The prime minister was addressing a function to hand over plot allotment letters to 1,440 remaining main inhabitants and general people affected by the Purbachal New Town Project, held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.

Joining virtually from her official Gono Bhaban residence, she called upon the countrymen to be patient and think of their own as well as their families' wellbeing, saying, "What would you lose if one Eid is not celebrated at home?"

She added, "Stay where you are right now, and celebrate Eid."

State Minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed; Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, MP; its Secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker; and Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, spoke on the occasion from the BICC end.

PM's Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus moderated the function from Gono Bhaban.

On behalf of the prime minister, the state minister later handed over the plot allotment letters to the people affected by the Purbachal New Town Project.

Earlier, a video documentary on the project was screened on the occasion.