The government of Malaysia should urgently coordinate regional governments to deploy search and rescue missions for boats of Rohingya refugees adrift at sea and ensure their safe disembarkation, said Fortify Rights on Friday.

Two people including a child died with breathing complications at the isolation ward of Khulna Medical College Hospital(KMCH) on Friday.

Bangladesh saw the highest death from coronavirus on Friday as 15 more people died from the virus infection in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll in the country to 75.

The 11th parliament will go into its seventh session on Saturday to fulfill the constitutional obligation.

No new dengue case was reported in the last 24 hours till 8am on Friday, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

US-Bangla Airlines will operate special flights to bring back Bangladesh nationals who got stranded in Chennai and Kolkata due to countrywide lockdown in India amid coronavirus outbreak.   Kamrul Islam, General Manager (Public Relations) of the US-Bangla Airlines, confirmed it to UNB over phone on Friday.   He said they will operate six special flights on Chennai-Dhaka route from April 20-25.   Two more special flights will bring back the Bangladeshis from Kolkata to Dhaka on April 21 and April 23, he added.   Some 2500 Bangladesh nationals including over 1000 students got stuck in different Indian cities due to current lockdown there, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.   Earlier on March 30, UNB reported that there are broadly three categories of Bangladesh nationals currently in India - who are willing to stay back until situation improves but facing cash crisis, students and those who are released from hospitals after necessary treatment.   Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi is in touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here to work out a proper plan as these Bangladesh citizens in India are not just from one city.   The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Bangladesh Missions in India are looking into welfare issues of Bangladesh nationals in India.   Officials at the Missions are in constant contact with Bangladesh citizens in India over phone.  

Local administration  put the district under lockdown on Friday morning in an effort to prevent  the transmission of coronavirus.   Deputy Commissioner Abu Ali Mohammad Sazzad Hossain announced the decision around 11:30 pm on Thursday.   No one will be allowed to enter or leave the district from today, he said.   In a press note, the deputy commissioner said the decision was taken as per the recommendations of the district coronavirus preventiion committee and civil surgeon.   Four people were found infected with coronavirus in the district. Of them, two are from Sadar upazila, one each from Bhandaria and Mathbaria upazilas of the district, said Civil Surgeon Dr Hasnat Yusuf Zaki.

President of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Rubana Huq on Friday said the reopening of their factories on April 26 fully depends on the improvement of coronavirus situation in the country.   “We’ll finalise the decision to reopen the factories considering how the corona situation goes on,” she told UNB.   Rubana said they are observing the situation. “We won’t reopen the factories killing people or putting our workers in trouble,” she said.   She said they will consult relevant stakeholders and the authorities concerned before reopening the RMG factories.   BGMEA earlier had decided to reopen its factories from April 26 as the ongoing coronavirus shutdown and public holidays are set to end on April 25, unless the government extends it further.   The apex body of the apparel sector had also tried to reopen the factories on April 5 and several thousand workers gone to Dhaka from the adjoining districts taking too much of trouble amid the shutdown and the serious risk of coronavirus infection.   As the government extended the shutdown until April 25, the BGMEA authorities also backed off from its decision to reopen the factories.   Meanwhile, Prof Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the health directorate, issued a circular on Thursday saying that the entire Bangladesh is at risk of the coronavirus pandemic as the infection has now spread to various parts of the country.   He said people must stay indoors as it will not be possible to contain the spread of the virus if physical distancing cannot be ensured.   The number of coronavirus cases and mortality is increasing in the country alarmingly every day.   Bangladesh has so far confirmed 1,572 coronavirus cases and 60 deaths from the highly contagious virus as of Thursday.   Among those, the country confirmed a record number of 341 positive cases and 10 deaths from the virus in only 24 hours in as of Thursday.   Meanwhile, the global death tolls from the highly infectious disease reached 136,032 on Thursday afternoon.

A man tested positive for coronavirus for the first time in the district on Thursday.   The victim is a resident of West Madhugram under Radhanagar union in Chagolnaiya upazila and he used to work in a mobile phone company in Dhaka.   Dr Sazzad Hossain, Feni Civil Surgeon, said the man returned to his village from Dhaka on March 25 with fever and cold.

Two youths who had been suffering from fever and cold in separate places of the district died on Thursday.   The deceased were identified as Thuisasing Marma, 21 of Rajosthali upazila and Imam Uddin, 18 of Baghaichhari upazila.