Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday asked Bangladesh Railway to transport goods across the country strengthening its luggage-van services during this ongoing crisis caused by novel coronavirus outbreak.

“Bangladesh Railway can avail of this opportunity (during the crisis). Measures can be taken to transport goods throughout the country using its luggage vans,” she said while exchanging views with the Railways Minister during her videoconference with the public representatives and officials of the districts under Rangpur division.

The Prime Minister held the videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban in the capital to discuss COVID-19 issues.

She asked Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan, who got connected with the videoconference from Panchagarh, to join all luggage vans with train services for transportation of goods throughout the country.

About tea gardens in Panchagarh, Sheikh Hasina said small tea growers will also be brought under the coverage of Tk 5,000-crore stimulus package announced for farmers to overcome the impacts of coronavirus pandemic.

Amirul Islam Khokon, a small tea grower, informed the Prime Minister that nearly one crore kilograms of tea worth Tk 150 crore was produced last year in Panchagarh district alone.

But the price of raw tea is only Tk 14-Tk 15 per kilogram now, which was Tk 25-Tk 30 last year, he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Panchagarh Sabina Yasmin apprised the Prime Minister that they set up a mobile hospital for the people of the disadvantaged areas in the district.

The DC said they distributed vegetables as relief items among the needy people there, while fixed some places to sell milk and eggs.

 In response, the Prime Minister appreciated the mobile hospital services describing it as an ‘excellent initiative.’

But she directed the Panchagarh district administration to identify the places having no community clinic so that the government can set up such clinics there.

While exchanging views with the public representatives and officials of several districts under Rangpur division, the Prime Minister asked all to take measures for boosting crop production so that famine never come back again in this region.

The eight districts under the Rangpur division are Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur and Gaibandha.

Earlier, the Prime Minister exchanged views with the public representatives and officials of districts under Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Sylhet, Barishal, Mymensingh and Rajshahi divisions in six phases.