BNP on Saturday alleged that the ruling party leaders and activists are deceiving the poor by plundering  money allocated for them by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ahead of the Eid-ul Fitr.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that each of 50 lakh poor families will be provided with Tk 2,500, but the ruling party men are misappropriating Tk 500 from each of the poor. Isn’t that hypocrisy?” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He came up with the allegation while distributing relief materials among the poor in the capita’s Kaptan Bazar area.

The BNP leader said Awami League men are deceiving the jobless and helpless poor at this time of coronavirus pandemic by embezzling the money and relief materials meant for them.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the disbursement of Tk 1,250 crore cash aid for five million poor families hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Each family is receiving Tk 2,500 cash support through mobile financial services (MFS) – bKash, Rocket, Nagad or SureCash.

The disbursement of cash aid will be completed within five days by May 18 and one million people will get the cash support through the MFS every day.

Rizvi criticised the government for what he said not taking steps against those involved in misappropriation of the relief materials.

He also alleged that the government has created a scope for a serious outbreak of the coronavirus by easing shutdown and allowing the reopening of the businesses and factories.

“The government could not take proper steps in advance to prevent the virus while it has now failed to tackle the situation,” the BNP leader observed.

He urged the government to ensure necessary medical equipment, including oxygen cylinders, at hospitals to protect people’s lives.