Health Ministry
FM lauds Health Ministry’s vaccination efforts
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday appreciated the Health Ministry for its competency and efficiency in managing the vaccination programme nationwide.
He hoped that half of targeted people would be vaccinated within months if the current trend continues.
Read: Bangladesh receives around 8 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine
Bangladesh wants to vaccinate 80 percent people of the country in phases.
Dr Momen said the vaccine supply remains steady and there will be no problem to get adequate vaccine doses.
He was talking to reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after receiving the second consignment of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Japan together with Health Minister Zahid Maleque.
Senior Secretary of Health Service Division Lokman Hossain Miah and Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Ito Naoki were also present.
The second consignment contains 7,81,320 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine.
Dr Momen expressed displeasure as some people are saying it will take five to six years to get all people vaccinated. "Vaccination for 1 crore people has been arranged within a week."
Appreciating the Health Ministry for its role, the Foreign Minister said they are doing an excellent job. "We're working together in a coordinated way and we're handling the COVID-19 situation very successfully so far," he said.
Dr Momen thanked the Health Ministry for addressing the issues of expatriates Bangladeshis and students who are willing to return to their studies abroad.
"Challenges are coming and we're facing those challenges, I think, pretty effectively and efficiently," said the Foreign Minister.
He urged all to follow health guidelines properly saying it is a war against Covid-19 and everyone has a responsibility.
"We're thankful to Japan. They've proved that they're real friend of all Bangladeshis," said Momen after receiving the vaccine consignment.
He said Japan, may be in the future, would be providing more and more support to deal with the situation.
Dr Momen said Covid-19 is a big global problem and no country can resolve it alone.
Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said vaccine should be a public good and ownership of its technology should be shared by all the countries.
The third consignment of the vaccine that will contain 6,16,780 doses of AstraZeneca is scheduled to arrive here on August 3.
Foreign Minister Dr Momen received the first consignment of 2,45,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan on July 24.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito said this is the manifestation of friendship and partnership.
During his recent telephone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, Dr Momen raised the vaccine issue and requested him to help Bangladesh with AstraZeneca vaccine supply.
He specifically mentioned the urgency of the AstraZeneca vaccine doses as a good number of people in Bangladesh did not get the second dose of AstraZeneca due to a supply gap.
Japan says it will stand by Bangladesh in the fight against Covid-19.
The Japanese Foreign Minister announced that 15 countries in the region will be provided with 11 million doses in total under the COVAX facility.
30 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine to reach Dhaka Thursday night, Friday
Thirty lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China will reach Bangladesh on Thursday night and early Friday, health ministry sources said.
The consignment of vaccines will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in three flights at 10pm, 1am and 3 am, added the sources.
Read: Covid-19: Bangladesh lowers vaccination age to 25
Earlier, some 20 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in two aircrafts on July 17 and early July 18.
The vaccines were provided as part of a commercial agreement with China.
Read: Covid in Bangladesh: Daily toll remains above 200; 15,271 more infected
Facebook launches Vaccine Finder in Bangladesh
Facebook, in collaboration with the Health Ministry and ICT Division, has launched 'Vaccine Finder', a new tool to help Bangladeshis confirm their eligibility and identify nearby places to get a shot in their arm.
This initiative is actually a part of the US-headquartered social networking website's holistic approach to raise awareness about hygiene measures, help people access Covid-related information and support the vaccine roll-out in the country.
Read:All will get Covid vaccine shots, reassures PM Hasina
Vaccine Finder connects people to local resources through their news feed and includes eligibility criteria as well as the location of the nearby vaccination centre and links to register for an appointment, a release said.
The tool can be found on Facebook's online Covid-19 Information Center, which is also available in Bangla.
In Bangladesh, Facebook sends news feed notifications directing people to register for the vaccine on the government’s website www.surokkha.gov.bd. It also helps people easily access www.corona.gov.bd for latest government directives.
Earlier this year, a public education campaign (www.fightcovidmisinfo.com) was launched to help Bangladeshis identify and combat false information related to the deadly coronavirus.
Read:Vaccine inequity biggest barrier to ending pandemic: WHO chief
Facebook has been working with partners in Bangladesh and around the world to increase health awareness and connect people to the latest information from health experts during the pandemic.
So far, 11 million Bangladeshis have signed up using the platform’s 'Blood Donations' feature to play a role in reducing critical blood shortage in the country.
Tackling Covid spread is not Health Ministry’s job: Minister
Preventing the spread of Covid-19 is not the job of the Health Ministry, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Monday.
“The Health Ministry’s responsibility is to ensure proper treatment. There are other ministries working to fend off the virus ”, he added.
Zahid said this while attending a virtual meeting with the government officers, public representatives, political persons of Manikganj and media on the ongoing Covid-19 situation.
Also read: Opposition MPs call Health Minister “shameless” over health sector “failures”
He said, for a year and half the country has been fighting this invisible entity and now “We have to be more careful than ever before.”
“Earlier rural people thought they wouldn't get infected by the virus but now the infection rate is highest in the rural areas”, said the minister.
He urged the union and ward monitoring committees to be more concerned to tackle the virus surge. “We are contracting the virus due to our carelessness,” he said.
Zahid said 50,000 health workers, including doctors, nurses and technicians, have been appointed across the country as worsening Covid-19 situation has made it impossible to treat the general patients at the hospitals.
Also read: Health minister hopes to get 11 crore vaccine doses by December
“Preparation to appoint more health workers have been completed too”, he added.
He said, already 90% of the hospital beds have been occupied, if we don’t become concerned now increasing hospital beds won’t suffice the crisis.
Regarding the vaccination, Zahid said, “We will get 1 crore vaccine doses this month and another 1 crore in the next.”
But maintaining health rules and wearing masks is mandatory as well as vaccination, he added.
The minister announced the 250-bed Manikganj General Hospital as a Covid-19 dedicated hospital during the meeting.
Dr Kamal demands immediate release of journalist Rozina
Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain on Saturday demanded the immediate resale of Prothom Alo journalist Rozina Islam from jail as he thinks she was implicated in a ‘false case’ by bureaucrats.
“Where’s the barrier to granting bail to Rozina when the entire journalist community, political parties, human rights organisations and eminent citizens of the country are demanding her release?” he said.
Dr Kamal said, “We demand that Rozina be freed immediately and we all are her guarantors.”
Also read: Don’t judge Rozina issue emotionally: Info Minister to journalists
He made the remarks in a written statement at a civic rally in front of the National Museum in the city’s Shahbagh area demanding the release of Rozina and annulment of the Official Secrets Act and the Digital Security Act.
Gonoforum Joint general secretary Mostaq Ahmed read out the statement at the rally in favour of Dr Kamal.
Dr Kamal said Rozina went to the Secretariat on May 17 to perform her professional responsibility.
Also read: Rozina to get fair judgement: FM tells CNN
As she published reports on massive corruption in the health ministry, the Gonoforum President said bureaucrats harassed her for five hours and handed her over to police by implicating her in a ‘false’ case.
“It’s our question as to why journalist Rozina was confined to a room at the Secretariat till 8pm,” he said.
Dr Kamal also demanded the government repeal the Official Secrets Act and Digital Security Act and ensure press freedom.
Also read: Order on journalist Rozina Islam’s bail Sunday
He urged all to get united to force the government to revoke all the ‘black’ laws and ‘restore’ people’s voting rights.
Speaking at the rally, Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury voiced anger as a Dhaka court did not pass its order on a bail petition of Rozina in a bailable case on Thursday.
He urged the journalists to get united putting behind their divisions to establish their rights and ensure press freedom.
Also read: Drop all "oppressive charges" against Rozina: HRW
Nagroik Oikay convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Dhaka University professor Asif Nazrul, chief coordinator of Ganosanghati Andolon Zonayed Saki, noted photographer Shahidul Alam and former Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) vice president Nurul Haque Nur, among others, spoke at the programme.
Rozina Islam: Journalism Vs the Colonial hangover of official secrecy
Rozina Islam, a senior journalist at Bangladesh's most influential newspaper who was known for unearthing graft in the health sector, was probably feeling a sense of relief when she was entering the Secretariat on May 17 to get her second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
If only she knew that she would be the victim of another epidemic right at the heart of Bangladesh Civil Service, an epidemic caused by a virus which muzzles the freedom of the press through archaic and vague laws.
Rozina Islam was held at the Secretariat for five hours before being handed over to the police.
A case was filed against her by an official of the Health Ministry under the Official Secrets Act of 1923.
The British Era law, a sleeping monster which was never used against journalists in independent Bangladesh, was revived suddenly against the 42-year old journalist.
She is currently spending her days in Kashimpur Women’s Central Jail as a Dhaka court on Thursday fixed Sunday for passing an order on the bail petition filed by her lawyers.
Read Don’t judge Rozina issue emotionally: Info Minister to journalists
Colonial Inheritance of OSA
The Indian Official Secrets Act, 1904 was enacted during the time of Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905.
It was an amended and more stringent version of The Indian Official Secrets Act (Act XIV) of 1889, brought in at a time when a large number of powerful newspapers had emerged in several languages across India, and the Swadeshi movement was just starting to emerge.One of the main purposes of the Act was to muzzle the voices of nationalist publications.
In April 1923, a newer version of the Official Secrets Act was notified. The Indian Official Secrets Act (Act No XIX of 1923) replaced the earlier Act and was extended to all matters of secrecy and confidentiality in governance in the country.
The Official Secrets Act that Bangladesh inherited upon its own independence is the exact replica of the 1923 - curiously no government has ever felt the need to amend it in order to be more time-befitting
The maximum punishment for an offence under OSA ranges from 14 years in prison all the way to death penalty.
Read ‘Independent media’ spreading lies against govt: Quader
What OSA deals with
The law broadly deals with two aspects — spying or espionage, which is dealt with in Section 3 of the Act, and disclosure of other secret information of the government, which is dealt with in Section 5. The secret information can be any official code, password, sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information, derived from a prohibited place.
OSA and journalism in Bangladesh
UNB talked to Mahmudul Haque, Lecturer of Mass Communication and Journalism at Begum Rokeya University and a former senior journalist himself, about the buzz surrounding OSA and the arrest of Rozina Islam.
He takes the course, ‘Safety and Security of Journalists’, which is only available in a few universities of the country.
Mahmudul said that this colonial era law has been put to work for the first time in Bangladesh as a new tool to muzzle the freedom of press in Bangladesh alongside DSA.
He said that the incident delivered a message to the investigative journalists of the country in order to make them feel hesitant and fear being persecuted for their reports exposing corruption of the bureaucrats.
“Like most of the laws enacted to curb the freedom of journalists in the country, this law is so vague that it doesn't define secrets,” he said.
He feared that the use of OSA will deteriorate the status quo at a time where the culture of secrecy and self censorship among the journalists are already high.
Read It's very regrettable; nothing to hide: FM about Rozina issue
Faulty case
Mahmudul said that any information derived from a ‘prohibited’ place for the purpose of spying will be considered as an offence under OSA.
“The secretariat or the health ministry is not a prohibited place. Government itself provides ID’s to the journalists so that they can enter there to collect news,” he said.
Besides, when this law was enacted more than a hundred years ago, the political and social context were very different than the current time, he continued.
“It is highly unlikely that Rozina was collecting confidential state secrets as a foreign agent in an attempt to pass it over to enemies,” Mahmudul exclaimed.
When asked about the health minister’s statement where he said Rozina took snapshots of "secret documents related to purchasing vaccines," Mahmudul said purchasing vaccines can never be a secret matter related to national security.
“According to international laws, the people deserve to know about any bilateral treaty related to public health," he said.
Apart from OSA, she was also charged under sections 379 and 411 of the penal code.
"See, sections 379 and 411 deal with mere stealing and theft. This cannot coexist with OSA. So the entire process under which the FIR against her has been filed is faulty and I believe she will easily secure bail tomorrow."
Read Watchdog: Media freedom has deteriorated during pandemic
Can journalists be exempted from OSA
There is a popular school of thought circulating in social media that OSA is only for government officials or defence personnels and journalists cannot be taken to trial under this act.
When asked about this, Mahmudul said, "Unfortunately this is not the case."
He cited section 3A (1) of the OSA which stated, "No person shall, except under the authority of a written permit granted by or on behalf of the Government, make any photograph, sketch, plan, model, note or representation of any kind of any prohibited place or of any other place or area, notified by the Government as a place or area with regard to which such restriction appears to [the Government] to be expedient in the interests of the security of Bangladesh or of any part of or object in any such place or area"
So anybody, including journalists can be taken to court under OSA as the law explicitly mentions 'no persons'.
Contradicts with RTI
Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act) of Bangladesh has been promulgated recognising people's right to information as an inseparable part of the freedom of thought and conscience, and of speech.
Although it was initially appreciated as a significant step towards ensuring public participation and transparency at the time of its enactment, the effectiveness of the RTI Act has been questioned over the subsequent decade.
"The mere presence of OSA undermines the spirit of RTI and Article 39 of the constitution, which recognises freedoms of thought, conscience and speech as fundamental rights, " Mahmudul said.
"Besides, the Public Interest Information Disclosure (Provide Protection) Act, 2011 (The Whistleblowers Act) provides protection and safeguards to whistleblowers if the information is true and related to public interest," he added.
Laws like RTI and Public Interest Information Disclosure ACT will never be implemented properly as long as it coexists with laws like OSA and DSA, added Mahmudul.
Read Future of journalism depends on adaptation, professionalism: Dr Arefin
Example in Neighbouring country
"Although OSA has never been used against any journalists in independent Bangladesh, there are a few instances of it in our neighbouring country India," said Mahmudul Haque.
He said that Saikia, a journalist of the Financial Express of India was arrested in February 2015 in a similar case to Rozina where the police accused him of writing stories and analyses from documents allegedly stolen from the government. He was released on bail in May after spending 80 days in jail.
Additional sessions judge Inder Jeet Singh who had discharged Saikia relied on a 1996 Supreme Court verdict in the case of Sama Alana Abdulla versus the State of Gujarat, Singh said that the test of whether a certain disclosure compromised a secret depended on whether an "official code'' or "password'' had been divulged in terms of Section 5 of the Act, The Times of India had reported during the time.
The report stated that the court's liberal interpretation lessened the scope for misuse of the OSA by official machinery as it made a sharp distinction between a secret document or report dealing with day-to-day routine affairs and one containing information on the sensitive issue of national security.
A Delhi court in 2009 greatly reduced the power of OSA in a case filed against the same journalist over disclosing cabinet notes by passing a verdict that a document merely labelled "secret" shall not render the journalist liable under the law.
Read World Press Freedom Index and Retrogressive Bangladesh
All Colonial Era law should be scrapped
All the colonial era laws, not only the ones related to journalism, should be scrapped as they are against the spirit of our freedom, said Mahmudul Haque.
While most of the laws adopted in the three successor states of the British Raj do date from the colonial era, some draw particular ire for their history of having been used by the colonisers specifically to suppress dissent among the colonised.
One such example is the Contempt of Court Act, dating from 1926. It may be noted that in India and Pakistan, the Act was subsequently amended to fit in better with the changed context of the independent states. However Bangladesh still sticks with the 1926 text.
The offence of sedition, included in the Penal Code of 1860, still gets a lot of traction in all three successor states of the British Empire in the Indian Subcontinent, despite no longer being in the books in England itself since 2009.
The 1861 Police Act is also felt among activists to be more suited to maintaining control over a colonised population, as opposed to a civilian security force that is there to serve citizens in a democratic society.
Some of the most widely used colonial era laws that are deemed to curb freedoms include contempt of court
Mahmudul also said that Rozina and her family can file a case for wrongful confinement under the Penal Code against the concerned government officials if they believed she was being held at the secretariat against her will.
Besides,they can also bring charges against concerned officials under the Penal Code, or the Women and Children Anti-Repression Act 2000, if she was physically tortured or harassed while being held, he said.
Read Search is on for new leaders in journalism's upper echelons
Rozina to get fair judgement: FM tells CNN
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday said Prothom Alo senior correspondent Rozina Islam will get fair treatment and judgement, emphasising that Bangladesh’s judiciary is very independent.
“Bangladesh’s judiciary is very independent, she [Rozina] will get fair treatment, and judgment… everybody. We don't want anyone to suffer," he told CNN in a live interview, mentioning that it is a legal issue and in the process of that they do not intend to interfere with it.
Read: Order on journalist Rozina Islam’s bail Sunday
Dr Momen said there is law in the country and they honour the law, and that is why they do not want to talk about it much since it is in the court. “Rozina will get a totally fair judgment… no doubt about that."
On Thursday, Dr Momen said it is very regrettable what happened to journalist Rozina Islam and there is nothing to hide by the government.
"It's very regrettable. The government of Sheikh Hasina is a media-friendly one. We’ve nothing to hide. I know, as Foreign Ministry, we’ve to face it. Many will raise questions. We don't want such incidents," Dr Momen said.
He appreciated the role of the media for unearthing many stories, including the pillow saga and Shahed Karim issues.
"The government has taken action (after those stories are published). You (media) help the government. You’re part of the government. You’re helping us (govt) much. We thank you," he said.
Dr Momen referred to what ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said on Wednesday and appreciated Hanif's remarks.
Read: It's very regrettable; nothing to hide: FM about Rozina issue
Hanif said the incident that took place in the Secretariat with journalist Rozina Islam was undesirable and that the country would benefit if strict action was taken against the corrupt instead of filing cases against journalists.
Dr Momen said this should have been managed by the Health Ministry.
Referring to what his other colleagues said, Dr Momen said Rozina will get justice. "It's unexpected."
Rozina is accused under sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of the Penal Code, for allegedly attempting to “collect sensitive government documents and taking photos of them” at the Health Ministry.
On May 18, a magistrate court turned down the police department’s request for a 5-day remand and instead sent her to jail.
Rozina was confined to a room for nearly six hours as she went to the Health Ministry on May 17 when she fell ill and fainted. She was then taken to Shahbagh Police Station.
Read: Drop all "oppressive charges" against Rozina: HRW
On Thursday, the Human Rights Watch said Bangladesh authorities should drop all the "oppressive charges" against renowned journalist Rozina Islam.
Rozina's colleagues believe she was detained over her reporting on corruption and mismanagement in the public health sector, including the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, said the HRW.
It's very regrettable; nothing to hide: FM about Rozina issue
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said it is very regrettable what happened to journalist Rozina Islam and there is nothing to hide by the government.
He said they will have to face the international community for the behaviour of a few people.
"It's very regrettable. The government of Sheikh Hasina is a media-friendly one. We’ve nothing to hide. I know, as Foreign Ministry, we’ve to face it. Many will raise questions. We don't want such incidents," Dr Momen said, adding that "you (questioner) may be right" that few people bring bad fame for the government.
The Foreign Minister made the remarks when his comment was sought on the issue of Rozina Islam after his meeting with South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun at State guesthouse Padma.
Read:Drop all "oppressive charges" against Rozina: HRW
Dr Momen appreciated the role of the media in unearthing many stories, including the pillow saga and Shahed Karim issues.
"The government has taken action (after those stories were published). You (media) help the government. You’re part of the government. You’re helping us (govt) much. We thank you," he said.
Dr Momen referred to what ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said on Wednesday and appreciated his remarks.
Hanif said the incident that took place at the Secretariat with journalist Rozina Islam was undesirable and that the country would have benefited if strict action had been taken against the corrupt instead of filing cases against journalists.
Drop all "oppressive charges" against Rozina: HRW
Human Rights Watch on Thursday said Bangladesh authorities should drop all the "oppressive charges" against renowned journalist Rozina Islam.
Rozina's colleagues believe she was detained over her reporting on corruption and mismanagement in the public health sector, including the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, said the HRW.
She is accused under sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of the Penal Code, for allegedly attempting to “collect sensitive government documents and taking photos of them” at the Health Ministry.
Read:Dhaka court to hear Rozina’s bail plea Thursday
Journalists across Bangladesh are protesting to seek her release, HRW said.
“Bangladesh authorities should produce evidence of wrongdoing or immediately release Rozina Islam and stop arresting journalists for doing their job, which is also to highlight governance flaws,” said Brad Adams, HRW Asia director.
“Instead of locking up critics, encouraging a free press should be central to the government’s strategy to strengthen health services in combatting the pandemic.”
Quoting media reports, the HRW said Rozina went to the Health Ministry on May 17 for a meeting with the health services secretary.
She was confined to a room there for nearly six hours, during which she fell ill and fainted, then was taken to the police.
According to the complaint filed by the Health Ministry, she had taken government documents related to the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. She denies these allegations.
Read: Amnesty: Rozina must not be punished for doing her job
The HRW said in a video recording by another journalist after her hearing on May 18, Rozina said, “because of my reporting on the Health Ministry, I'm being wronged.”
On May 18, a magistrate court turned down the police department’s request for 5-day remand and instead sent her to jail until her bail hearing scheduled for today.
“The arrest of Rozina Islam sends a terrifying message to journalists uncovering corruption in Bangladesh,” Adams said. “By speaking out for Rozina Islam, concerned government will be standing with Bangladeshi journalists across the country.”
Bangladesh to get 106,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine on June 2: Health Ministry
Bangladesh will receive a minimum of 1,06,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine by June 2, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said Tuesday.
The doses will be sent to Bangladesh under the COVAX scheme which is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), said Maidul Islam, the public relation officer of the ministry.
Also read: Bangladesh seeks at least 2 mln doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Canada
The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine has an efficacy of 95% against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.
However, preliminary laboratory studies of the mRNA vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna have shown decreased effectiveness against the double mutant variants discovered in India, WHO said in a note.
Read: Vaccine production in Bangladesh: Experts 'vehemently against private sector’s engagement'