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Published on September 13, 2022
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas lauded Bangladesh's Covid-19 response including the vaccination drive, terming it as "remarkable".
The US wants to partner with Bangladesh in the 'Global Covid Action Plan' to deal with the pandemic, the envoy said on Tuesday as he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban.
A minister-level special session of US-Bangladesh along with other stakeholders would be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Haas said.
"Bangladesh is clearly ahead of the United States (US) in vaccination programmes under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This is really amazing and the efficiency is remarkable," he added.
Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher briefed reporters after the meeting and said that the US envoy appreciated the transformation of Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, reports BSS.
He also mentioned that Bangladesh graduated as a developing nation from LDCs under Sheikh Hasina's leadership.
Regarding the success in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, the prime minister said her party and associate organisations handled the pandemic situation efficiently from the beginning by working round the clock in raising awareness, serving the patients, and distributing medicine and oxygen.
She said when the vaccine was available, her government provided first, second and booster doses to the people free of cost. Now, the government is administering vaccines to the children, she added.
She said that she formed a committee under the Prime Minister's office to coordinate with the other ministries and stakeholders to handle the Covid-19 vaccination scheme, which worked well.
Sheikh Hasina said that she herself communicated with all at that time.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her sincere gratitude to US President Joe Biden for contributing vaccines to Bangladesh.
"Please convey my thanks to the President," she requested the ambassador.
Mentioning that people are suffering due to Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine war and the Western sanction, Sheikh Hasina said that they are trying to work for the people with full affordability.
Regarding the LDC graduation, she said her government, after winning the election in 2008, took different measures to uplift Bangladesh as a developing nation.
"Despite the setback of Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine war and sanction, Bangladesh will continue to uplift," she hoped.
The premier also highlighted the measures taken by her government for the marginalised people in the society to change their fates.
Sheikh Hasina said that her government is working in the footsteps of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to change the fate of marginalised people.
Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin and Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, among others, were present.
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