Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bokul has accused the previous Awami League and caretaker governments of failing to purchase vaccines from foreign donor agencies due to alleged corruption motives. He made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon at a relief distribution event for the underprivileged in Monohardi Upazila, Narsingdi. The minister claimed that the earlier administrations intended to buy vaccines through private channels but abandoned the plan when their desired arrangements were not met.

According to Bokul, the failure to procure vaccines led to a sudden outbreak of measles across the country, resulting in the deaths of many children. He stated that after the current government took office, it quickly arranged vaccine supplies and launched immunization drives, which have significantly reduced the spread of measles. He expressed hope that the situation would further improve within a week.

The minister also mentioned that initiatives have been taken to combat dengue and that a large budget has been allocated to strengthen the health system, with plans for extensive future work in the sector.