Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday said the government is mulling over closing the educational institutions in view of the outbreak of coronavirus.
“Closing the schools and colleges is being discussed at the high level of the government. We are intensively monitoring the situation. We will take necessary steps in the right time,” he said.
Quader, also the Awami League (AL) general secretary, came up with the statements at a press conference after an AL secretariat meeting on the celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the party president’s political office at Dhanmondi in the city.
Noting that so far 149 countries across the globe have been infected by the epidemic virus, he said, “The coronavirus has created panic and anxiety across the world. Our people are also anxious about the disease”.
China authorities, however, has sent a letter to the Bangladesh government to share their experiences on controlling the disease as the epicenter country of the epidemic virus, the minister said, adding Bangladesh is ready to combat the disease as the government as well as the AL has been prepared as per the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the very begging time.
About the progress of the Padma Bridge construction work, Quader said 26 spans out of 41 have already been installed.
Informing that about 250 Chinese workers, out of some 1,000, had gone home on leave and some of them have already returned, he said the construction work of the bridge will face no problem even if the corona situation prevails for more two months.
The work is progressing as per the target of completing the construction by June 2021, Quader said, adding, “Installation of all 41 spans will be completed by July this year.”
AL Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Joint General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organizing Secretaries Ahmed Hossain, BM Mozammel Haque, SM Kamal Hossain and Mirza Azam, Cultural Affairs Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, Liberation War Affairs Secretary Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua and Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan were present at the meeting, among others, reports BSS.