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Thakurgaon youth jumps rope to enter Guinness Book
A 21-year-old Bangladeshi youth from Thakurgaon, Russel Islam, has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for the most skips in 30 seconds -- and that too, on one leg.
Russel Islam, son of Bazlur Rahman of Sirjapara village in Sadar upazila, in fact, created the world record by jumping rope 145 times on one leg in half a minute.
Read: Thakurgaon journalist arrested under DSA gets bail
Russel, a student of Shibganj Degree College, has been skipping since childhood. But he started practicing meticulously from 2017. And his dream came true this year.
In 2019, Russel applied for the Guinness Book of World Records challenging in two categories -- one in 30 seconds and another in one minute.
Tagore’s historic Kuthibari is threatened by river erosion, locals scream for help
Erosion in River Padma during the peak monsoon has threatened the Kuthibari, the historic country house of Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, at Shelaidah in Kushtia district.
The erosion along the river’s bank near Kuthibari and its adjacent area has taken a serious turn and the residents of the area are passing days in fear of losing their land and homes to the mighty Padma.
Read:Riverbank erosion leaves Gashial residents on the edge
Earlier, the government had taken steps to protect the Kuthibari from river erosion in 2018 by building an embankment but it did little to help the villagers.
According to the Kushtia Water Development Board, the authorities concerned have built a 3,720 meter flood protection dam, involving Tk 167 crore in the fiscal year 2016-2018. Of the total dam, 2,720 meter built in Sultanpur part of Koya union while the remaining 1000 meter in Shelaidah portion.
The authorities named the project as ‘Kuthibari protection dam’.
Read Padma erosion threatens Daulatdia Ferry Terminal
Local people alleged that the authorities concerned have built the dam excluding the 1.5 kilometre area of Kuthibari under the project. The project stretching from Shelaidah Kuthibari and adjacent areas remains in the paper but actually no dam has been built on the main portion of the Kuthibari.
Admission delayed, admission denied?
The ferocious second wave of the pandemic has further disrupted the higher education landscape across the world. And Bangladesh is no exception.
Here too, Covid-19 has exacerbated uncertainty for over a million-plus students preparing for admission tests to get into colleges and universities, with most of them deferred to curb the spread of the virus.
The uncertainty has left these admission seekers scrambling to figure out what else they might consider in case they fail to bag a seat in the university of their choice.
Read:DU to hold UG admission test from Oct 1, affiliated college test from Oct 29
The most sought-after Dhaka University, for instance, has deferred the admission test for all its undergraduate courses for the third time this academic year, citing the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.
The other leading academic institutions -- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Chittagong University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, and the three public technical universities (CUET-RUET-KUET) -- have all put on hold the admission tests.
Forget the admission tests, a number of the 49 public universities in Bangladesh has not been able to conduct internal examinations since the pandemic broke out, resulting in sessions jam.
Read JU admission seekers can pay application fees through bKash
In fact, in the year 2020, a total of 13,67,377 students successfully completed the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) or equivalent examinations, and by now they were supposed to complete six months of university education.
This uncertainty over university admissions and the consequent anxiety have taken a toll on the mental health of many students and made some of them more vulnerable to drug use, UNB has learnt.
Female students in the rural areas of Bangladesh are the worst hit, with many of their parents losing their life savings during the pandemic. Many such parents have been forced to marry off their daughters at an early age in the past one year -- dashing their dreams of a higher education.
Read HC turns down writ seeking cancellation of MBBS admission test results
“I had a dream, a dream to complete my graduation. But the academic sessions jam and the pandemic changed my life forever," Saifa Nasrin, one such sufferer, told UNB over the phone from rural Bangladesh.
Last month, Saifa's parents married her off to reduce the financial burden on the family. "My husband has made it clear to me that he's not in favour of my higher studies."
Of the 49 public universities, 30 are supposed to conduct admission tests for undergraduate programmes.
Read: HC questions exclusion of SSC-2016 passed students from admission test
Some 20 of these universities -- barring the top five -- have decided to implement a cluster admission test system. Seven agriculture and three technical universities will also follow the same cluster system.
Bangladesh also has 107 private varsities and about 2,254 colleges affiliated to National University.
Moreover, these 20 public universities -- excluding Dhaka University, BUET, Rajshahi University, Jahangirnagar University and Chittagong University -- are said to have received a total of 3,81,406 applications for 2020-21 UG admission tests.
Read DU admission tests rescheduled amid pandemic
Post-pandemic economy: Bangladesh’s blueprint for reviving investment atmosphere
With the pandemic hitting hard the economy as an external shock, the government gives an immense importance to investments, both local and foreign ones, for ensuring a balanced development and improving business environment in the country.
“The government will take effective steps to build infrastructures and provide other policy supports to improve the investment-friendly environment,” says an official document obtained by UNB.
To increase investments and create jobs, it says, steps have been taken to establish 100 Economic Zones across the country, which will provide employment opportunities for nearly one crore people. Approval has already been given for the establishment of 97 Economic Zones.
Read Bangladesh’s economic progress continues despite pandemic: Minister
The document says production has already begun in nine economic zones and the development work on 28 economic zones is under way, creating jobs for around 40,000 people. “Employment opportunities will be created for another 8 lakh people,” it says.
As of now, investment proposals, worth US$ 27.07 billion, from 210 investors have been submitted for these economic zones. “Of the total amount, about US$ 1.60 billion is foreign investment.”
The largest Economic Zone in the public sector 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial City' is being developed in Mirsarai, Sonagazi and Sitakunda upazilas on 30,000 acres of land as a modern industrial zone.
Also read: Coronavirus: Experts for prudent economic recovery plan for Bangladesh
To woo investors, seminars, workshops, roadshows and tradeshows are being organised and sponsored both at home and abroad.
Through these arrangements, as per the document, Bangladesh can identify new investors, which will help augment the investment.
More importantly, the document says, the government is laying special emphasis on the implementation of projects under Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to attract investment required for the implementation of the government's development plans.
Also read: ‘Bangladesh economy shows signs of positive growth’ despite global recession
At present, as many as 76 projects are scheduled to be implemented under the PPP, against which the investment worth US$ 27.76 billion has been mobilised.
One project under PPP has already been implemented and six more projects are under implementation.
Plans afoot to transform Bangladesh’s economy in view of LDC graduation
The government has taken structural transformation of the economy as a priority agenda for the coming days to maintain its position among the developing countries and become a higher middle-income country by 2031 defying all the hurdles of the post-LDC era.
"We, therefore, need to accelerate this structural transformation of the economy," the government said in an official budget document.
To this end, the government will provide necessary financial assistance for the implementation of some activities.
Read Next 2 weeks crucial to ensure TRIPS waiver for pharma beyond LDC graduation
These are-- mechanisation of agriculture, development of the agro- processing sector, skill development and productivity enhancement, and expansion of training and education related to 4th Industrial Revolution.
The government will also provide necessary financial assistance for encouragement of online based outsourcing work, self- employment/creation of new entrepreneurs, and encouragement of basic and practical research at the university level.
It said that the country has been gradually moving from an agro-based economy to a manufacturing-based economy following the pursuit of effective government policies and strategies during the last 12 years.
Also read: World Bank prediction on Bangladesh economy inconsistent: Finance Minister
Therefore, the document said, the contribution of agriculture to the GDP has been gradually declining and the desired structural transformation is taking place in the economy.
It mentioned that Bangladesh has already qualified for graduation from a least developed country to a developing country.
"To maintain its position among the developing countries and become a higher middle income country by 2031, we need a strong industrial and manufacturing sector, which will help sustain high economic growth."
Also read: WB projects 1.6 pc GDP growth for Bangladesh in 2020-21
According to the United Nations Committee for Development Policy (UNCDP) recommendation, Bangladesh's transition will be effective in 2026. It means until 2026, Bangladesh will be able to enjoy all the benefits applicable to LDCs.
Much-hyped work on underground cabling in Dhanmondi set to start in Sept
Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) will start physical work on taking overhead cables underground in the Dhanmondi area next month as part of its mega project to ensure safer transmission of electricity.
“We’ve completed all our necessary preparation at a meeting today (Tuesday) to start the job in September”, said Bikash Dewan, managing director of the DPDC, a public limited company under the Power Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
He said the distribution body is now waiting for the permission from Dhaka North City Corporation (DSCC) to dig the streets in the Dhanmondi area where the project will start on a pilot basis.
Read Coronavirus Fallout: Underground cabling project faces delay
“We hope we’ll get the permission soon as the DSCC mayor is very positive about our project,” he told UNB.
The Dhanmondi underground cabling project is part of the DPDC’s mega scheme for which the organization signed a contract with the Chinese contractor TBEA in September in 2019.
Under the Dhanmondi project, 190 km of overhead electricity cables, an eyesore in the city, will be taken underground, DPDC officials said.
Also read: Obnoxious overhead cables still dangling in Dhaka amid infighting
Of these, about 115 km are of 11 kV overhead lines, and 75 km are 0.4 kV lines, they said adding that all kinds of overhead electric cables will go underground and no cable will remain visible in a particular part of Dhanmondi area that includes Satmasjid Road, Mirpur Road, City College and Greenherald School area.
Plan to shift city’s inter-district bus terminals makes slow progress
It has been a decade since the government conceived a plan to shift Dhaka’s four inter-district bus terminals to new locations to ease traffic congestions in the capital city’s entrances, but it has made little headway since then.
Dhaka, the national capital which is already under pressure of heavy infrastructures, suffers from more traffic congestion than anywhere else in Bangladesh as most of its bus stops and terminals are located in its heart.
In a city like Dhaka, bus terminals have to handle huge passenger transfers every day without offering any facility that can ensure the safety and comfort of passengers.
According to experts, there are huge advantages in relocating terminals to areas away from the city centre with multimodal connectivity taking those closer to the under-construction metro-rail system which could speed up both trips and ensure passenger safety.
A report on the feasibility of the much-sought plan to relocate the four bus terminals will take at least another three months to be finalized though there have been a few visits by the city mayors and government officials to the proposed sites.
READ: Homebound people flock at launch and bus terminals dreading ‘lockdown’
The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) will look after the relocation of four inter-district bus terminals at Gabtoli Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Fulbaria.
Though the government had taken the plan in 2010, the work is yet to start for unknown reasons, sources at DTCA said.
At least 8,000 buses that run daily between the capital city and other districts use the four terminals. Since they are now inside the city, traffic congestions even during the night are common.
According to the decision, the Gabtoli terminal will be shifted to Savar, Mohakhali terminal to Tongi in Gazipur, Sayedabad terminal to Kanchpur and Fulbaria and Babubazar terminals to Keraniganj.
On completion of relocation of the four bus-terminals, new intra-city bus terminals will be established at Gabtoli, Mohakhali, Sayedabad, Fulbaria, Mirpur Section-12, Basila of Mohammadpur and Sadarghat for the buses plying on the city streets.
Additional Executive Director (AED) of the DTCA Engineer Rabiul Islam told UNB that the technical committee of the DTCA has proposed at least 10 sites for building new terminals and bus depots as part of the much-talked-about bus route rationalisation move.
READ: 200 transport workers facing shutdown miseries at Jashore bus terminal
The proposed sites, which are located on the entry points of the capital, included Batulia, Hemayetpur, Madanpur, Baipail, Bhulta, Kanchpur, Teghoria and Boro Monohoria of Keraniganj, Gazipur Chowrasta and Jhilmil.
Mayors of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC)-- Atiqul Islam and Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh respectively have already visited four selected spots- Batulia at Uttara near metro depot, Hemayetpur of Savar, Teghoria of Keraniganj and Kanchpur—several months back.
Sources at the DTCA said Batulia site has been selected for the buses, which will come from Tangail, Mymensingh, Sirajganj, Pabna, Bogura, Natore, Rajshahi. Kanchpur site was selected for inter-district buses coming from Chattogram, Feni, Noakhali, Cumilla, Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Bandarban and Cox's Bazar.
Hemayetpur has been selected for the buses coming from Manikganj, Faridpur, Gopalganj, and some northern and southern districts and Teghoria is selected for the buses from Shariatpur, Madaripur and all the districts under Barishal division.
Rabiul Islam said the feasibility study report (FSR) for the relocation of the enter-district bus terminals is almost finalized and is being scrutinizing by the concerned authorities.
Replying to a question, he said it may take 2-3 more months to finalize the FSR. After completion of the FSR, the relocation of bus terminals would be implemented through an investment project, he said.
READ: Corona scare: Railway stations, launch and bus terminals left deserted
Sources at the DTCA said the first inter-district bus terminal was established at Fulbaria near Gulistan in 1984. Later, the three other inter-district bus terminals were established at Gabtoli, Sayedabad and Mohakhali due to the expansion of the capital.
Shattered by Covid, Bangladesh now awaits a dengue blow
The dengue situation in Bangladesh might worsen further in the coming days devastating the country’s fragile healthcare system already battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, said experts.
Bangladesh started seeing an uptrend in dengue cases from June with the advent of monsoon. Since August 1, the country has been seeing over 200 dengue cases every day.
Read: Risk of dengue outbreak rises amid lockdown
DGHS spokesperson Prof Nazmul Islam told UNB that there is a possibility that the number of dengue cases will rise further in August due to suitable breeding conditions. “Aedes mosquito breeding increases in stagnant water due to heavy rains in August,” he said.
Some 2,286 dengue cases were reported in the month of July alone, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The outbreak of dengue fever with over 100 dengue patients reported daily for more than a week has sparked new worries as the country’s healthcare system is facing an unprecedented situation with rising Covid patients and limited capacities.
Just like the Covid-19 pandemic, Dhaka is the worst hit by the dengue outbreak as almost all the cases were recorded in the capital, a home to about 17 million people.
Of the new dengue cases reported on Saturday, 194 were reported in Dhaka while only two from outside the capital, the DGHS said.
According to the (DGHS), 777 patients are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country.
The majority of the dengue patients are from Dhaka as only 30 of them were being treated in hospitals outside the capital.
Some 2,658 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 1,877 of them have been released after they recovered.
Read: Dengue spike: 123 more patients admitted to hospital in 24 hrs
Doctors are advising the patients who have been suffering from fever to undergo both Covid and dengue tests, creating financial burden and sufferings for many.
According to official statistics, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019, the worst the country has ever experienced.
About 50,974 people were infected with dengue in August 2019 though only 50,166 dengue cases were recorded in the previous 18 years from 2000 to 2018.
If the similar scenario repeats, the health system, which is already on the brink, might completely collapse and create a catastrophic situation in the country in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic, experts warned.
Prime Minister's personal physician Prof Dr ABM Abdullah told UNB that dengue cases may increase further in the future.
“The breeding season of Aedes mosquitoes begins in May and continues under winter. So, there must be measures to control the outbreak before the Dengue season begins,” he said, adding that mosquito control is not the sole responsibility of the two city corporations.
He urged other government agencies, including Wasa and PWD, to put their best foot forward as soon as possible over the matter.
“Destroying Aedes breeding grounds isn’t a tough task. If everyone, including the citizens, regularly cleanse stagnant water from residential premises and the service providers do their duty, we don't need to worry about an outbreak,” Abdullah added.
Read: Dengue vs. COVID-19: Symptoms, when & where to test, ways of prevention
Besides, Prof Nazmul of the DGHS said they are currently in the middle of conducting a 10-day survey to have a clear idea about the overall dengue situation in the country.
The DGHS will take further actions to control dengue outbreak after understanding the ground situation upon completion of the survey, he said.
He added that citizens can undergo free dengue tests at government hospitals and there are adequate kits available for this purpose.
Nazmul recommended using mosquito nets even for sleeping in the morning as it is when aedes mosquitoes mainly bite.
“If someone has a fever, they should be tested immediately for dengue and corona. And in the case of taking treatment, the medicine must be taken as per the advice of a registered doctor. If necessary, take treatment by contacting the hot line or health window of the health department,” Prof Nazmul added.
Contacted, Local Government Minister Tajul Islam said many city dwellers are still reluctant about destroying the Aedes breeding sources despite conducting mobile courts regularly.
Tajul Islam warned of stringent punitive action if Aedes larva is found on residential premises. “Anti-mosquito drives and cleansing activities of the two city corporations have already been strengthened in Covid hotspots,” he added.
Besides, the mosquito eradication teams would immediately reach out if residents need help in cleaning stagnant water or other breeding gounds, he added.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam told UNB that a 10-day mosquito eradication campaign was carried out simultaneously in 54 wards of Dhaka North from July 26.
He said citizens can reach out to them anytime through ‘Shobar Dhaka’ (Everyone’s Dhaka) mobile app, emergency number 333 and DNC hotlines 09602222333 and 09602222334.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh urged the city dwellers to inform municipality authorities about Aedes larvae so that they can take necessary steps to clean that. “We cannot reach the rooftops of your (city dwellers) buildings. So, if you (residents) watch stagnant water, either clean it by yourselves or inform us and we will clean it.”
He went on saying, “Inform us if you know the breeding sources of Aedes mosquitoes in your surroundings as it is impossible for us to locate and destroy them all by going home to home.”
Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better.
The fatalities had almost fallen to zero at one stage, before surging again in 2018, leading to the severe outbreak the following year.
Global burden of dengue
The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. A vast majority of cases are asymptomatic or mild and self-managed, and hence the actual numbers of dengue cases are under-reported, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The number of dengue cases reported to WHO increased over 8 folds over the last two decades, from 505,430 cases in 2000, to over 2.4 million in 2010, and 4.2 million in 2019. The reported deaths between the year 2000 and 2015 increased from 960 to 4032.
Read: Australian scientists make breakthrough on preventing spread . of dengue fever
Before 1970, only nine countries had experienced a severe dengue epidemic. The disease is now pandemic in more than 100 countries in the WHO regions of Africa, America, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific.
The America, South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions are the most seriously affected, with Asia representing - 70% of the global burden of disease.
The largest number of dengue cases ever reported globally was in 2019. All the regions were affected, and dengue transmission was recorded in Afghanistan for the first time.
When teachers become cheaters...
Plagiarism is nothing but cheating. But when the gatekeepers of academic integrity indulge in such an unethical practice, some universities choose to turn a blind eye. At least this holds true for the country's most prestigious Dhaka University.
While the university has found evidence of plagiarism against 11 of its teachers in the past four years, it has been slow to upbraid or punish offenders -- so far, punitive action has been taken against three of them only. Offenders, on the other hand, have blamed someone else for the mistakes.
Read: DU demotes 3 teachers for plagiarism
The teachers who have faced the wrath of the university authorities for plagiarism are Md Omar Faruq of the Islamic history and culture department, Sayed Mahfuzul Haque Marzan of the criminology department, and Samia Rahman of the mass communication and journalism department.
In 2018, then assistant professor Omar's PhD degree was cancelled on charges of plagiarism. In October 2020, the university formed a special tribunal to determine his punishment. Later, on its recommendation, the DU Syndicate -- the governing body --asked the teacher to serve as a lecturer.
On similar grounds, associate professor Samia and assistant professor Marzan were redesignated as assistant professor and lecturer, respectively, in 2020. The action came three years after a panel was formed to probe allegations of plagiarism against the duo for an article they had co-authored.
In fact, in 2017, the University of Chicago Press wrote to DU, claiming that Samia and Marjan had, in their co-authored write-up, "used portions without proper citations" from French philosopher Michel Foucault’s 1982 article ‘The Subject and Power'. The duo's article was published in DU's Social Science Review in 2016.
When asked about the accusations, Marjan, in 2017, said that Samia was the first author of their joint article and "if there were any problems, they were in her portion of the work." Samia, on her part, had said: “I was abroad when the article was published. He submitted it without consulting me."
Read: I'm victim of dirty teachers' politics: Samia Rahman
However, no meaningful action has been taken in other cases of plagiarism.
In September 2017, for instance, the DU syndicate formed a five-member panel, led by then pro vice chancellor (academic) Nasreen Ahmed, to probe allegations of plagiarism against tourism and hospitality management department’s three assistant professors -- Bodruzzaman Bhuiyan, Nusrat Jahan and her husband Ruhul Amin.
This was after the teachers of the department indulged in mudslinging. Nusrat, a Senate member, was the one who had first complained to the authorities, including the VC, accusing Bodruzzaman of using copied materials in his thesis, titled 'Socio-economic Impact of Tourism in Cox’s Bazar: A Study of Local Residence Attitude'.
Prof Md Afzal Hossain of the department was quick to raise similar allegations against Nusrat and her husband Rahul -- the husband-wife duo, according to him, used portions from each other’s previous works in their academic articles.
Ruhul, however, refuted the allegations against him and his wife as baseless. “All our published articles are properly cited and referenced to the primary and secondary sources. The allegations are baseless.”
Four years have already passed, but the university probe committee is yet to submit its findings.
Read: DU teacher relieved of duties over 98pc plagiarism in PhD thesis
Similarly, in January 2020, a professor of Sweden’s Gothenburg University and a Bangladeshi private university researcher separately raised allegations of plagiarism against pharmaceutical technology department's associate professor AK Lutful Kabir. Both then claimed to found some 98 percent plagiarism in Lutful's PhD thesis.
Prof Jonas Nilsson of Sweden wrote a letter to the DU VC, alleging that Lutful had copied from his research paper. The department's dean of faculty was asked to investigate the matter. However, there is no progress in the matter yet.
Two months later, in March 2020, the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh cancelled a research contract with two DU teachers after they found evidence of plagiarism in their joint academic paper.
The two researchers -- Dr Eshani Chakraborty, professor of the history department, and Dr Zobaida Nasreen, associate professor of the anthropology department -- received the society's research grant nearly four years ago.
They were selected to carry out a research on 'Brihottoro Dhakar Sthanik Sangskriti o Boishister Swarup Anusondhan (Exploring local culture and its distinctive features of greater Dhaka)' in April 2017.
The Asiatic Society subsequently wrote to the DU authorities, urging them to initiate action against the two teachers, but the varsity apparently chose to stay silent.
Recently, former director of the National Academy for Education Management Iffat Ara Nargis brought plagiarism allegations against DU music department associate professor Mohsina Akhter Khanam (known as Leena Taposhi Khan) at a conference.
Nargis alleged that in her 280-page book, Leena copied materials from other books -- "some 80 pages are direct lifts".
Leena completed her PhD in 2010 on the ‘Use of ragas in Nazrul songs’ under the supervision of Nazrul exponent former national professor Rafiqul Islam. "The thesis under my supervision was completed following the assigned procedure using proper references," Prof Rafiqul said.
Besides, a few teachers from the country's public varsities recently raised plagiarism allegations against social science faculty dean professor Sadeka Halim. They pointed out the overlaps between the DU professor's research paper, 'Participation of Women in Aquaculture in the Three Coastal Districts of Bangladesh: Approaches towards Sustainable Livelihood’, and other materials.
When contacted, DU pro vice-chancellor professor ASM Maksud Kamal said, 'These complaints usually come to me through a process. I have been looking into plagiarism complaints since taking charge. Officials concerned have been asked to submit a report at the earliest. Hopefully, a decision in these cases are expected by this month."
Bangladesh has some 49 public and 107 private universities. However, not a single varsity has formulated an anti-plagiarism policy to date.
"We will soon unveil an anti-plagiarism guideline for researchers, teachers and students of the university aiming to prevent such an unethical practice in their research work. We are waiting for an approval from the Syndicate," Prof Maksud Kamal said.
35% people in 3 Jashore upazilas have Covid antibodies: Survey
Researchers found the presence of Covid antibodies among 35 % people in three upzilas of Jashore district, suggesting that these people either contracted the virus or came in close contact with infected patients.
The Genome Centre of Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST) revealed the study findings on Saturday, after examining the samples of 400 people from six areas in Jhikorgachcha, Chougachcha and Sadar upazilas.
Read: Covid vaccination reduces chances of hospitalization, mortality: IEDCR study
The study was conducted through rapid antibody tests after collecting blood samples of the people.
According to the research, natural antibodies were found among 38% members of those families where there were Covid-19 patients, and they were found tested positive through RT PCR. Besides, antibodies were detected among 24% people who lived near the houses of Covid positive patients.
The people who have got vaccinated were not included in the research.
According to the research report, it has been proved that the number of asymptomatic Covid carriers is higher and they are roaming around freely.
Read: CVASU study confirms Delta has taken over as dominant strain