Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malek said at an emergency exchange meeting with departmental level officials in four border areas of the country on Monday afternoon on "what needs to be done to tackle the new Indian variant" through online zoom app. The manner in which the ferry is traveling from one district to another, including crossing, without paying any attention to the hygiene rules, is totally a suicide decision.

The health minister said thousands of people were dying every day in neighboring India due to new variants. The new Indian variant has now spread to Nepal, causing panic there. This variant has now moved to our country as well. At such a critical time, if a homebound person goes to the village on Eid with the virus in his body, then the villagers including the family in the village may be infected in large numbers.

"Even in urban areas, people are moving recklessly," he said. In the big divisional cities of the country including Dhaka, people are moving in different vehicles including shopping malls. If this continues, a terrible situation like India and Nepal may arise in the country after Eid. For this reason, the concerned officers in charge of each border area have to work hard. All people, including the family of a person traveling to India through the border area, should be brought under the fast and compulsory COVID test. Urgent steps should be taken to prevent any vehicle from moving in the border area outside its own district.

During the meeting, the Health Minister instructed the Divisional Commissioners of Rangpur, Sylhet, Khulna and Chittagong, Range DIGs, Deputy Commissioners of Border Areas, Superintendents of Police, Civil Surgeons and other concerned officials on the steps to be taken to prevent new Indian variants and listened to their views.

At the meeting, the health minister directed to conduct a massive quid test in the border area. He asked all the families of the travelers in India to be brought under compulsory testing and gave urgent instructions to ensure that no vehicle of any kind could move from one district to another in the border area.

The Khulna Divisional Commissioner told the meeting that there are currently 2,800 people traveling to India in the Khulna Divisional Area in Home Quarantine. They have been kept under constant surveillance. Apart from this, truck drivers and helpers entering through the port from India are not allowed to move in any way. Strictly their isolation system has been emphasized.

The health minister also directed driver-helpers traveling from the country to India to ensure quarantine. Secretary of the Health Department Lokman Hossain Miah presided over the meeting and took part in the discussion. ABM Khurshid Alam, ADG (Planning) Mirzadi Sebrina Flora, Range DIG of Khulna, Chittagong, Rangpur and Sylhet divisions, Divisional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Civil Surgeon and other concerned departmental officers.