The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has received an overwhelming response from people on her e-mail address and personal cell phone numbers she made public during Wednesday’s session in parliament.
She gave out the two mobile numbers and the e-mail address so that people at large could approach her if they found someone trying to take undue advantage using her name or that of her family members.
The prime minister received a call while on way to her official residence Ganabhaban after the office hours on Thursday around 5:00pm.
As she took the call, the curious man asked her whether it was the prime
minister herself talking to him.
On hearing, ‘Yes, I’m,’ from Hasina, the man disconnected the call.
When the prime minister called back to the number and asked his identity and purpose of the call, the man said he disconnected as he could not believe that he was actually talking to the head of the government.
Mahbubul Alam Shakil, special assistant (Media) to the PM, told the news agency on Friday that the prime minister talked to many people over her cell phone from 5:00pm to 11:00pm on Thursday, and after the Juma prayers on Friday.
In response to a supplementary query during the question-answer session in parliament on Wednesday, Hasina gave her e-mail address (sheikhhasina@hotmail.com) and the phone numbers (01711-520000 and 01819-260371).
During her speech, she also clarified that ‘my family includes myself, my younger sister and our five children’.
Shakil said that most of the telephone calls were made to congratulate the prime minister for her government’s stand on the construction of the much-talked-about Padma multipurpose bridge. Many others shared greetings of Shab-e-Barat, the night of fortune, with the prime minister.
Hasina told parliament on Wednesday that the government would build the Padma bridge, for which the World Bank cancelled its pledged fund, with its own fund, if need be.
‘A caller told the prime minister that he could never believe that she would take the call,’ Shakil added. ‘Another asked her, ‘Are you really Sheikh Hasina talking to me?’
Besides, the prime minister has received several e-mails, most of which include corruption allegations in various sectors.
Shakil said that a caller told the prime minister: ‘It’s a matter of pride for us that you (Hasina) haven’t bow down your head. We’ll build the bridge by raising funds by ourselves, if necessary.’