Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today said beneficiaries of fascism remained active in the state, politics, governance and administration and were trying to destabilise the country's power and energy sector by spreading misinformation.
“Those who have benefited from fascism are not sitting idle. This group is quite active in destabilising the country’s energy and power sector in various ways. They were spreading misleading information about the sector,” he said.
The prime minister was speaking at a doctors' rally organised to mark the 37th founding anniversary of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad complex this morning.
Tarique said previous governments' unplanned projects and decisions had left the power and energy sector in a fragile state, while the present government was working to address the resulting crises.
“The government is not denying that people are currently facing crises of electricity, gas and fuel. But the country, its people and the government are now paying for those unplanned schemes to provide special benefits to certain quarters,” he said.
He said the government was formulating plans to gradually ease the gas, electricity and fuel crises.
The prime minister also said the government had decided to recruit 100,000 new health workers to raise public awareness about primary healthcare and called on doctors to train them properly.
He said the government believed in prevention rather than waiting for diseases to develop before seeking treatment.
On political involvement by students and professionals, Tarique said political awareness or organisation was not unreasonable in a democratic state, but excessive political involvement should not interfere with professional responsibilities.
Addressing the doctors, he said several proposals submitted by them to improve healthcare services would be considered in phases.
The proposals include recruiting 5,000 doctors through a special BCS examination, raising the age limit for doctors entering government service from 32 to 34, increasing their retirement age from 61 to 65, introducing incentives for doctors working in remote areas and establishing specialised hospitals outside Dhaka.
Tarique said the government had already started plans to establish specialised hospitals, including children's hospitals, outside the capital.
Earlier, Tarique and his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, planted neem and arjun saplings on the premises of the LD Hall before inaugurating the rally by hoisting the national and party flags and releasing balloons and pigeons.
DAB President Prof Dr Harun Al Rashid presided over the rally. BNP Secretary General and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md Zahid Hossain, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain and DAB Secretary General Dr Md Zahirul Islam Shakil, among others, attended the programme.
