Dhaka – Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed has said the forces
will do everything possible to save the people in the face of Covid-19 attack and
would remain deployed as long as the government wants.
The army chief made these comments to the daily sun
newspaper on Friday, three days after the army troopers fanned out across
Bangladesh to assist the civil administration to prevent the spread of the
deadly virus and ensure social distancing in crowded localities amid the global
pandemic of new coronavirus.
“The army will do everything possible under the prudent
leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to fight the virus,”
Ahmed told the newspaper.
“Army will render service in aid to Civil Power as long as
the government wants,” he added.
Army troops deployed for take precautionary measures and ensuring social distancing against the Covid-19 spread – newsnextbd.com photo by Jibon Ahmed
The government on Monday decided to deploy the armed forces to
assist the local administration when the time of global pandemic has left more
than 28,000 people dead and infected over 500,000 people worldwide.
The virus, first detected on March 8 in Bangladesh, infected
a total of 48 people and left five people dead so far. The government has taken
multi-pronged approaches to contain the virus’ spread.
“The common people, including the civil administrations, are
highly energized and seem to be mentally relieved due to army presence and
assistance to fight coronavirus threats,” the army chief was quoted as saying
by the daily sun newspaper, Bangladesh’s second most circulated English
publication.
“Insha Allah (God willing translates the Arabic words in
English), army men will do their best.”
The forces —- army, navy and air force —- fanned out across
Bangladesh and have enforced a government order for all to stay indoors
alongside restricting nationwide public transports, shutting schools and businesses.
Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Ibne Zaid, the defence
spokesman, separately said that some 3,000 men from the army and 400 from the
Navy have been deployed, while the air force is on standby for ferrying men and
medical aid to any part of Bangladesh.
Practice of distancing
“The public has been helping troops on the streets by
obeying their orders to stay indoors and keeps businesses shut as per the
government ban orders,” he told the daily.
They have been working with “humanity in mind” so that
people like rickshaw-pullers who live by the day do not suffer.
Lt. Col. Zaid, director of the Inter-Services Public
Relations Directorate, pointed out that those men who are deployed “will also
respond to medical emergencies if needed.”
Asked how are the men and women in uniform were protected
from the virus, he said, “these personnel are risking their lives leaving their
families behind to help the nation in this moment of crisis … periodically
new batches will replace the old, who will be quarantined on return to their
barracks for safety.”
The army men were seen patrolling the streets of cities and
towns, which local residents said will go a long way in helping the government
efforts to contain and finally defeat the deadly coronavirus.
silence – Dhaka city during coronavirus lock-down – newsnextbd.com photo by Jibon Ahmed
There is no known remedy against the virus, which first
appeared in China in December have now been wreaking havoc in Europe and
America.
The decision of army deployment was welcomed across the
board.
The 200,000-strong Bangladesh armed forces, which the Global
Firepowers’ 2019 Military Strength ranking named as third most powerful in
South Asia, has been modernised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who also hold
the defence portfolio, over the past decade.
The armed forces have also been called in the past in this
calamity-prone South Asian country, especially during floods and cyclones in
aid of the civil administration.
They have also joined rescue operations after some manmade disasters like the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013 in Savar.
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