The government is mulling over closing the educational institutions in view of the outbreak of coronavirus, says Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader.
“Closing the schools and colleges is being discussed at the high level of the government,” Quader, also Awami League (AL) general secretary, told a media call after an AL secretariat meeting at the party president’s Dhanmondi office in Dhaka on Sunday (Mar 15), reports BSS.
“We are intensively monitoring the situation. We will take necessary steps in the right time,” he said.
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.