Bangladesh
Bangladesh extends lockdown until May 5
The government has issued six fresh directives imposing restrictions on people’s movement alongside the existing ones as the country is struggling to contain the Coviid-19 transmission.
The Cabinet Division on Wednesday issued a notification extending the ongoing lockdown from April 28 to May 5.
Also Read: Lockdown Day 1: Protests held, health rules, govt directives ignored
Shops and shopping malls will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm ensuring health guidelines, the notification said.
Commerce Ministry, Labour and Employment Ministry, trade organisations and bazaar managing committees will take effective measures in this regard. Legal action will be taken against those to be found violating the directives.
According to the directives, no one will be allowed to enter the country through land, river and air routes from India other than goods-laden vehicles.
Besides, the Bangladeshi people, who are now in India and their visas have expired, can only enter the country after taking a release/certificate from the Bangladesh High Commissioner in India. In that case, they will have to follow a 14-day quarantine rule and the Health Services Division, Public Safety Division, Security Services Division, Shipping Ministry and deputy commissioner concerned will take necessary measures in this regard.
Those coming from the Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia and China with non-Covid-19 and vaccination certificates will have to follow a 14-day quarantine rule at their respective homes. In this case, they will have to contact local police stations about their arrival and quarantine period.
But those who have only have non-Covid-19 certificates and returned from those countries mentioned above have to stay in the government facilitated institutions, and within 3-5 days, if the physicians allowed them to go to their respective houses after the test, will have to go for a 14-day quarantine at their homes.
The people who come from other countries will have to stay in government facilitated institutions for 14 days.
Also Read: Lockdown day 3: Dhaka streets largely deserted
The notification said the Religious Affairs Ministry will take decisions about the Eid-ul-Fitr congregations.
The government has decided to extend the current lockdown by another week until May 5 as there is no improvement in sight in the Covid-19 situation, said State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain on April 26.
The decision has been taken considering the global Covid situation and the suggestions of health experts, said the state minister.
A circular was issued on April 20 extending the ongoing strict lockdown by a week from April 22, aiming to curb the transmission of Covid-19.
As coronavirus cases continued to rise alarmingly since mid-March, the government imposed a ‘loose’ nationwide lockdown for one week from April 5 as part of its move to contain its spread. Later, a ‘stricter’ lockdown was declared from April 14 to 21.
On April 23, the Cabinet Division issued a notice allowing shops and shopping malls to operate from April 25 (10am-5pm) on the condition that they would maintain proper safety protocols.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 78 more coronavirus-related deaths and 3,031 new cases on Tuesday morning, showing a downtrend in both the death toll and caseload.
The country witnessed over 100 deaths daily from April 16 to 19 and on April 25 as the second wave of the virus hit Bangladesh.
The daily infection rate slipped to 12.51 percent on Tuesday from Monday’s 12.82 percent while the mortality rate remained static at 1.49 percent.
So far, 751,659 cases and 11,228 deaths have been confirmed, the Directorate General of Health Services said in a handout.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
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Obaidul Quader: Covid vaccines to be collected, no matter what
The government will take necessary initiatives to procure vaccines from any source to save the lives of people, said Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday.
“There’s no need for any special relationship with anyone to manage corona vaccines…the government will collect that from any source,” he told reporters in the morning.
Also Read: Vaccine is not the only solution: Quader
Earlier, Obaidul Quader, also general secretary of Awami League, paid homage to Shaheed Sheikh Jamal, son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, by placing wreaths at his Banani graveyard marking his 68th birth anniversary.
The senior party leader paid homage on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina first and then for the party.
He said the biggest challenge now is to avoid the politics of blame game over dealing with coronavirus, the common enemy of all, irrespective of party affiliation.
Mentioning the politics of courage and talent of Sheikh Jamal as the unique example of Bangabandhu family, Quader said, "The nation must be brought out from the politics of murder and conspiracy. The politics of killing is not desirable for any party.”
Those involved in the brutal assassination of 1975 were not spared, he said, “Murder begets murder. Had Bangabandhu not been assassinated, another group of murderers would not dare to kill Ziaur Rahman.”
Also Read: 'Strict' lockdown again if health rules violated: Quader April 25, 2021
Quader said Ziaur Rahman himself was the mastermind of the Bangabandhu murder and he had to face the consequences.
The Awami League general secretary urged BNP to avoid the politics of murder and conspiracy. “BNP is now conspiring to remove Sheikh Hasina from politics,” he claimed.
To establish true democracy in Bangladesh, Quader called upon BNP to move away from the path of murder, conspiracy and terrorism.
No respite from soaring mercury
The people are not getting any respite from the heatwave sweeping across the country at least in the next two days, says the Met Office.
A mild to moderate heatwave is sweeping over Dhaka, Sylhet, Rangpur, Khulna and Barishal divisions and the regions of Sitakunda, Rangamati, Cumilla, Feni, Rajshahi and Pabna and it may abate from some part of the country.
Issued at 9 am on Wednesday, the bulletin forecasts that day temperature may remain nearly unchanged and night temperature may rise slightly over the country.
A trough of low lies over West Bengal and adjoining area, it said.
Rain/thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and the districts of Kishoreganj and Cumilla.
The weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, said the report.
But the Met office’s five-day outlook says that there may be rain or thundershowers, and the day temperature may also fall.
The maximum temperature was recorded 38.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday at Srimangal while Dhaka experienced 38 degrees Celsius.
Remains of missing boy found in Chattogram shrine pond
Remains of a nine-year-old boy's body were recovered from the pond of the Bayezid Bostami shrine in Chattogram on Tuesday night, a day after he went missing.
The minor was identified as Nurul Alam. Originally from Habiganj district, he lived with his parents in Bayezid.
Nurul's dismembered limbs were first spotted in the pond by the shrine authorities on Tuesday evening. The local police were soon informed and the boy's other body parts were eventually fished out. Police suspect Nurul fell into the pond while feeding fishes and turtles around 1pm on Monday. However, they're waiting for the autopsy report.
Abu Bakkar, additional commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), said, "Nurul went to the shrine around 1 pm on Monday. Probably he fell into the water body while feeding fishes and turtles."
The footage of CCTV cameras installed on the premises of the shrine indicates that the boy fell into the pond while feeding fishes and turtles, said Priton Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Bayezid Bostami Police Station.
The boy's mother, who had filed a missing person's complaint after his disappearance, has identified the body, the OC said.
According to the Khadem of the shrine, people from different parts of the district visit the holy place to feed fishes.
Global Covid-19 cases top 148 million
The Covid-19 situation is worsening around the world with each passing the day, despite mass vaccinations. The overall number of corona cases has now topped 148 million.
As of Wednesday morning, the total case count and fatalities stand at 148,353,905 and 3,131,636, respectively, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has logged 32,175,049 cases and 573,378 deaths to date, as per the university data.
Besides, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines Tuesday on the wearing of masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers, reports AP. Those who are unvaccinated can go outside without masks in some situations.
Brazil's Covid-19 death toll on Tuesday reached 395,022 pushing the national count to 14,441,563, the country's health authorities said.
India has registered 17,636,307 Covid cases with 197,894 fatalities as of Wednesday morning, according to the country's health ministry.
Hospitalisations and deaths have reached record highs, overwhelming healthcare workers. Patients are suffocating because hospitals’ oxygen supplies have run out.
Also Read: Global Covid-19 cases top 142 million
Desperate family members are sending SOS messages on social media, hoping someone would help them find oxygen cylinders, empty hospital beds and critical drugs for their loved ones. Crematoriums have spilled over into parking lots, lighting up night skies in some cities, reports AP.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 78 more coronavirus-related deaths and 3,031 new cases on Tuesday morning, showing a downtrend.
The country witnessed over 100 deaths daily from April 16 to 19 and on April 25 as the second wave of the virus hit Bangladesh.
The daily infection rate slipped to 12.51 percent on Tuesday from Monday’s 12.82 percent while the mortality rate remained static at 1.49 percent.
Also Read: Global Covid-19 cases top 138 million
So far, 751,659 cases and 11,228 deaths have been confirmed, the Directorate General of Health Services said in a handout.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
Lockdown extended
A rapid rise in Covid infections prompted the government to enforce a lockdown from early April, but the restrictions failed to achieve the intended result.
Later, the government announced a complete lockdown from April 11 and extended it to April 28.
On Monday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said the lockdown would be extended till May 5 "as there is no improvement in the Covid-19 situation".
However, shopping malls will remain open from 10am to 8pm during the extended period, he said.
Vaccination campaign
Bangladesh launched a vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine doses it acquired from the Serum Institute of India.
Bangladesh signed an agreement with Serum for 30 million doses. But a record number of cases in India has made the delivery of the doses uncertain.
Occupational safety, health of all workers must be a national priority: ILO
International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said the occupational safety and health (OSH) of all workers in all industries must be a national priority.
“The second wave of the pandemic is sweeping across Bangladesh as we mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2021. Many hundreds of thousands of workers continue to work hard to keep the society and the economy functioning," said Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director of ILO Bangladesh.
The pandemic has clearly shown the importance of OSH in creating a safe working environment and its impact on public health and the occupational safety and health of all workers in all industries must be a national priority, said Poutiainen.
The ILO has helped develop a national Covid-19 OSH guideline which was approved and published by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Bangladesh.
"The safety of workers and business sustainability can both be secured if the measures recommended in this guideline are implemented across all industries and workplaces,” Poutiainen added.
Countries need to put in place sound and resilient OSH systems that would minimize the risks for everyone in the world of work in the event of future health emergencies, says ILO in a report, released on World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
The report says small and micro-sized enterprises have often found it hard to meet official OSH requirements because many have lacked the resources to adapt to the threats posed by the pandemic.
According to the ILO report, in the global informal economy, many of the 1.6 billion workers, especially in developing countries, have continued working despite lockdowns, restrictions on movement and social interaction, and other measures.
Also read: Coronavirus: One lakh RMG workers to get free telemedicine service
This has put them at high risk of catching the virus, yet most do not have access to basic social protection, such as sick leave or sick pay.
“In the absence of protection such as sick leave or unemployment benefits, millions of workers are forced to make a cruel choice between their health and their livelihoods, which not only puts them at risks but also others they come in contact with. The current crisis highlights the need for equitable, inclusive and human-centred responses,” said Tuomo Poutiainen.
In Bangladesh, the government, employers and workers’ organizations must work together to continue strengthening the OSH institutional and regulatory frameworks and OSH management system at national and workplace levels, said the ILO Country Director.
Investing in OSH systems will not only contribute towards responding to the current pandemic and recovering faster by avoiding further contagion but will create resilience to face any future crises that might lie ahead.
At the same time, it is important to establish urgent safety net programmes for low-wage workers, the self-employed, and workers and enterprises in all the hard-hit sectors including informal ones, added Poutiainen.
This will require investment in OSH infrastructure and integrating it into overall national crisis emergency preparedness and response plans so that workers’ safety and health is protected, and the business continuity of enterprises is supported.
The report, “Anticipate, prepare and respond to crises. Invest now in resilient OSH systems”, examines risk prevention and management relating to the pandemic, and analyses other health and safety risks associated with the changing work arrangements arising from virus control measures.
Also read: Don’t panic, stay home, help us win war against coronavirus: PM
The report outlines the critical roles played during the pandemic by occupational safety and health regulatory frameworks and institutions, compliance mechanisms, health and advisory services, data, research and training.
“There could be no clearer demonstration of the importance of a strong, resilient, occupational safety and health environment. Recovery and prevention will require better national policies, institutional and regulatory frameworks, properly integrated into crisis response frameworks,” said ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder.
The report says International labour standards (ILS) provide tools to implement OSH measures and to ensure that workers, employers and governments can maintain decent work while adjusting to the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic.
ILS also encourages social dialogue as the best way to ensure that procedures and protocols are effectively implemented and accepted.
While the public health system has a responsibility to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and other public health threats to the entire population, strong and effective national OSH systems are essential to safeguard the life and health of workers, and for this, they must be equipped with adequate human, material and financial resources.
Bangladesh eyes Guinea Bissau as new export destination
Bangladesh has requested Guinea Bissau, a county in West Africa, to consider accrediting a non-resident Ambassador to Bangladesh at least for maintaining a regular contact in both ways to help boost relations between the two countries exploring trade potential.
Terming the trade between two countries as not up to its potentials, Bangladesh suggested that Guinea Bissau can import quality goods at affordable price from Bangladesh, such as, RMG, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, electronics, ICT products, bicycles, motor cycles and even ships.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Portugal Tarik Ahsan presented his credentials to the President of Guinea Bissau Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló in the capital city Bissau on Tuesday as the non-resident Ambassador to that country with residence in Lisbon and raised the issues.
The President expressed his willingness to concurrently accredit a non-resident Ambassador of Guinea Bissau to Bangladesh.
Also read: How Bangladesh can boost apparel exports
He expressed keen interest in expanding cooperation with Bangladesh, particularly in the proposed areas of trade and capacity building, and suggested that the two Foreign Ministries remain in contact for promoting the cooperation.
Citing Bangladesh’s success in grass roots level development, the Ambassador viewed that, in a spirit of South-South cooperation, Bangladesh and Guinea Bissau can cooperate and exchange best practices, particularly in rural development and agriculture.
Also read: Coronavirus: Experts call for paying attention to apparel sector
He attached importance to working together at multilateral fora on the common issue of climate change.
Ambassador Ahsan requested for continued support of Guinea Bissau, at UN and OIC platforms, in the efforts for ensuring repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
The Ambassador was escorted in a motorcade from his hotel accommodation in Bissau to the Palace of the Republic.
On his arrival at the Palace, the Ambassador received a gun salute from the Presidential Guards, while national flags of both the countries were flying.
Ambassador Ahsan then ceremonially presented his letter of credence to the President of Guinea Bissau.
In an audience with President Embaló, the Ambassador conveyed the greetings of Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to him.
The Ambassador stated that he was privileged to be the first Bangladesh Ambassador to present credentials to the Head of State of Guinea Bissau.
He mentioned with pride that Bangladesh and Guinea Bissau have similar historical backgrounds of achieving independence through glorious wars of liberation and that flags of both countries were raised at the United Nations Secretariat in New York on the same day on 18 September 1974.
While there had not been much bilateral contact between the two countries in the past, the Ambassador expressed the hope that, with this formal acceptance of an Envoy, relation would now be progressively enhanced to a higher level.
President warmly welcomed the Ambassador to Guinea Bissau and congratulated him on being the first Bangladesh Ambassador to present credentials in his country.
The President extended warm greetings to Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh.
The President expressed his belief that bonds of friendship between Bangladesh and Guinea Bissau would be further strengthened in the days to come.
He assured the Ambassador of all cooperation and support during his tenure as Ambassador to Guinea Bissau.
Strong quake hits Bangladesh & India
A strong earthquake measuring over 6.0 on the Richter Scale hit both Bangladesh and India in a span of 30 minutes early on Wednesday morning, authorities in both the countries said.
In Bangladesh, strong tremors were felt at 8.21am in different parts of the country, including the capital, according to Sheikh Hanif of the Dhaka Met office.
In neighbouring India, the quake shook the states of Assam in the northeast and West Bengal in the east at 7.51 am, the National Centre for Seismology said.
The epicentre of the earthquake in India was 43 km west of Assam's Tezpur in the state’s Sonitpur district, the Center said.
Also read: 5.1 magnitude earthquake jolts Dhaka
"Big earthquake hits Assam. I pray for the well being of all and urge everyone to stay alert. Taking updates from all districts," Assam's Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted.
Though there have been no reports of any casualties in both the countries, local TV channels in India reported that several houses in Assam have developed cracks.
Also read: 5.8 magnitude earthquake jolts Dhaka, other areas again
Missing expatriate found dead in Chandpur corn field
Police on Tuesday recovered the decomposed body of an expatriate who went missing two weeks ago.
Police had been called in after a body was found in a corn field in Chandpur’s Rampur union by a farmer.
The deceased Osman Gani Munshi (30), son of late Rustam Ali Munshi of Kamranga village under Rampur union, was missing for nearly a fortnight.
Additional superintendent of Chandpur Police Snigdha Sarkar confirmed the body was of the missing expatriate.
Farmer Sukumar Chandra said, “When I went to the field around 5 pm, I got a bad smell and called my nephew. With him I entered the corn field and found the corpse."
Malaysian expatriate Osman Gani was a mason and a raw material trader by profession.
His four-month-pregnant wife, Salma, said: "My husband went out for work as usual but did not return two weeks ago."
According to the police, on April 12, Osman went to his aunt's house in Devpur Bepari Bari from where he went missing.
OC Abdur Rashid told UNB the body was sent to Chandpur Hospital morgue for autopsy.
ASI Snigdha Sarkar said whether he was killed or not can be ascertained by analyzing the evidence collected by PBI and CID.
Dhaka court imposes travel ban on Bashundhara MD over abetting suicide
A Dhaka court issued a travel ban on Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir today over his alleged connection with a case filed over abetting suicide of a young girl whose body was recovered from a rented flat in Dhaka's Gulshan area last night.
The court of Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shahidul Islam passed the order after Abul Hassan, officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station and also the investigation officer of the case, submitted a petition seeking travel ban on the Bashundhara Group MD.
Although it was granted, there were unconfirmed reports circulating Tuesday of Sobhan having left the country already on a cargo flight.
Also read: Young woman found dead in Gulshan; case filed against Bashundhara MD
Police recovered the hanging body of a young girl from a flat in the city's Gulshan area on Monday (April 26, 2021) night.
A case was filed by the victim’s sister Nusrat Jahan against Sayem Sobhan Anvir, managing director of Bashundhara Group over instigating the victim to commit suicide under section 306 of Bangladesh Penal Code with Gulshan Police Station around 1:30 am on Tuesday (April 27, 2021).
According to Nusrat, the victim called her on Sunday, and confided to being "in trouble". On that basis, Nusrat Jahan came to Dhaka on Monday and reached her sister's flat in the evening.
After Musharrat didn't answer the door, she managed to enter the flat with help from the landlord and found her sister's hanging body and police were called in, who recovered it.
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