DACCA: The Opposition and Independent members today [Jan 30] staged a token walk-out protesting against the “Government attitude” towards admissibility of an adjournment motion on “rowdyism” in the Dacca University yesterday. The Education Minister, Mr Amjad Husain, opposed the admissibility of the adjournment motion moved by the Awami League which called its “failure” to check the “rowdyism”.

When the Speaker wanted to know if the adjournment motion had the leave of the House, the Leader of the Independent Group, Mr Asaduzzaman Khan, said the Government should not oppose the discussion of such an issue.

The Leader of the Independent Group then announced the protest walk-out. While opposing the adjournment motion, the Education Minister said the matter was under investigation by the University authorities. Hence the fuller picture was not available at the moment.

The Speaker did not allow the Minister to speak on the subject saying that the matter was “closed” when he rose to speak after the Opposition and Independent members returned to the House.

[Meanwhile, as reported by our correspondent,] the World Health Organisation has decided to step up efforts to achieve global small-pox eradication within 10 years.

The 20th World Health Assembly scheduled to open in Geneva on May 8 will chalk out a programme for supply of freeze-dried vaccines, transport, equipment and financial assistance to the countries.

According to the report prepared by Dr M.G. Candan, WHO Director-General, about 60,000 persons suffered from small-pox last year, and only Europe, America, and the Western Pacific countries remained almost small-pox-free in 1966. South-East Asia, Africa and Eastern Mediterranean regions were found to be the worst small-pox-affected areas. About 70 per cent of the small-pox cases occurred in South-East Asia; the most affected were Afghanistan, India, Indonesia and Nepal.

In Pakistan there has been a rapid increase in small-pox cases during past two years.

In East Pakistan the small-pox cases went up from 43 in 1964 to 2,973 in 1966; for the same period the number of cases also increased in West Pakistan from 749 to 1,414.

Published in Dawn January 31st, 2017