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No chance of oxygen crisis unless any dramatic change: Minister
As Bangladesh grapples with the second wave of coronavirus infections with hospitals overstretched, one major concern that has arisen is the availability of medical grade oxygen for critical Covid-19 patients.
Amid the growing worries over a steady supply of the lifesaving element, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has assured the people of the country that there will not be any shortage of oxygen unless the situation worsens dramatically.
His clarification came at a time when India, struggling with an acute oxygen crisis, stopped its export to Bangladesh.
Also read: DNCC Market Hospital to get 200 new ICU beds: Health Minister
"We don’t import oxygen from India all year long. We needed to import oxygen from India during a huge upsurge in Covid cases. But if the situation remains stable, there’ll be no shortage of oxygen in the country," he told UNB.
Maleque said Bangladesh is not that much dependent on liquid oxygen. “In fact, we rely more on gas oxygen. So, even if we face a shortage of liquid oxygen, it won't be a big deal," he added.
Medical grade oxygen is needed for treating critical Covid-19 patients who develop hypoxaemia – the shortage of oxygen in the blood – which is one of the main causes of death.
The minister said the demand for medical-grade oxygen is currently around 100-150 tonnes.
The government produces 250 tonnes of gaseous and 150-200 tonnes of liquid oxygen every day. The private sector also produces around 40-50 tonnes of oxygen a day. "So, unless there’s any dramatic upsurge in Covid-19 cases which forces the demand to double overnight, we’ll be fine," he assured.
He said the government has asked hospitals to increase the use of gaseous oxygen in order to avoid misuse of liquid oxygen.
Also read: No crisis of oxygen in hospitals: Health Minister
Minister Maleque said the health authorities are in constant touch with industries so that liquid oxygen can be collected on short notice when needed.
‘Minor oxygen crisis’
However, Senior Secretary Md Anisur Rahman of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division admitted that there is a minor oxygen crisis in the country following the Indian export ban.
"We’ve told private companies that produce liquid oxygen to supply it to the hospitals and clinics at the moment," he said.
Rahman said there is nothing to worry as the government will deal with the situation very swiftly.
Diverting oxygen to hospitals
Chief Inspector of Explosives Department Abul Kalam Azad told UNB that they asked five oxygen producing companies on April 23 to cut off the supply of oxygen for industrial use and direct it to hospitals.
According to the letter, hospitals and clinics are in need of rapid medical oxygen supply as the number of Covid-19 patients has recently increased.
It was sent to Linde Bangladesh, Spectra Oxygen Limited, Islam Oxygen Limited, DR Industries Limited, and M/S Bangladesh Industrial Gas Limited.
Also read: No alternative to increasing hospital capacity: Health Minister
According to sources at the health ministry, the daily production capacity of Linde Bangladesh is 90 tonnes, Islam Oxygen Ltd 40 tonnes and Spectra 37 tonnes.
Saiqa Mazed, General Manager (Human Resources) of Linde Bangladesh, told UNB that they are not giving it to industries following the government’s directive. “The whole amount now goes directly to hospitals and clinics,” she said, hoping that if the number of Covid cases remain as it is, there won't be any shortage of medical oxygen.
When asked about oxygen import from a source other than India, she said it would be expensive since Bangladesh can bring oxygen from the neighbouring country by road.
Covid surge in Bangladesh: Experts say lockdown likely to pay off
Experts think that the ongoing lockdown in Bangladesh appears to be paying off as both the active coronavirus cases and death toll have marked a sharp fall over the last few days in the country.
They, however, fear that the benefits might be short-lived ones as the government has allowed shopping malls to reopen and is thinking of resuming public transport services soon though the virus is yet to come under control.
The analysts warned that the Covid situation is likely to worsen again with the hordes of shoppers and holidaymakers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the largest religious festivals of Muslims to be celebrated in the middle of this month.
They advised the government to announce a stimulus package for the transport workers instead of resuming transport service, enforce the law to make people to wear masks and maintain health safety rules and increase vigilance along the border to check any possible trespassing or illegal entry to Bangladesh from India to maintain the improved trend in the Covid situation.
The government imposed a complete countrywide lockdown on April 14 for a week to tackle the worsening Covid situation, and later it was extended up to May 5. But the government gave permission for reopening shops and malls across the country from April 25 amid lockdown.
Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Saturday the government is considering the resumption of public transport services in the country ahead of Eid.
Bangladesh’s health authorities reported 69 more deaths and 1,359 new cases in 24 hours until Sunday morning.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh logs 69 more deaths, 1,359 new cases
The virus infection rate that increased to 23 percent early last month has now dropped to 9.60 percent on Sunday.
Lockdown proves to be effective
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director (disease control) of the DGHS, said the fall in the number of Covid cases and deaths has manifested that the ongoing lockdown has proved to be good.
“As the offices and mass transport service remains shut, people’s movement has declined, contributing to reducing the virus transmission,” he said
Illegal sand mining: Sunamganj's biggest challenge
A transboundary river shared by India and Bangladesh, Jadukata is known for its natural beauty.
Gushing out of the Khasi hills in the Indian state of Meghalaya, the river flows through Sunamganj’s Tahirpur upazila -- an area that largely caters to Bangladesh's increasing demand for construction sand and stones.
But rampant illegal sand and stone mining poses a grave threat to the river's existence.
Read Illegal sand mining goes on unabated in Kurigram
Moreover, abundant lenience of authorities, residents allege, encourages the local mafia to steal the illegally mined sand and stones often seized by police.
Neither the local administration nor the police pay attention to it. Local people too just do not bother to object to these illegal activities.
Read Jamuna loses battle to illegal sand mining in Sirajganj
"The unauthorised mining activities not only lead to revenue loss to the government but also cause damage to the environment. This has going on for years," a local resident told UNB.
On March 24, a task force comprising officials from the local administration, police, BGB and RAB seized large quantities of illegally mined sand and stones from various local traders.
Read Also: Sand lifting puts homesteads, farmland under erosion threat in N’ganj
Small businesses pin hopes on budget to stay afloat
Hit hard again, this time by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bangladesh's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are now pinning hopes on the upcoming budget to stay afloat. Not to mention that the survival of these firms is important as they are one of the major employers in the country's economy.
Ranging from short-term liquidity and tax cuts to simple compliance for availing loans and extension of debt repayment periods by at least two years, these enterprises seek an array of relief from the government to tide over the economic crisis. These leeways to SMEs, entrepreneurs say, will not only help the sector survive but also ensure the preservation of jobs.
Read Speakers urge for simplifying process of stimulus fund disbursement to SMEs
Kazi Sazedur Rahman, the president of Paper Cup Manufacturers' Association of Bangladesh (PCMAB), told UNB that though a slew of stimulus packages was announced by the government last year, over 80 percent of the small entrepreneurs in Bangladesh failed to reap the benefits of the same due to corruption in the system.
“Though Bangladesh Bank said that over 72 percent of the stimulus packages worth Tk20,000 crore were disbursed as loans until March 31, the reality is different. Some 95 percent of the disbursed loans were availed by corporate houses through sister concerns floated overnight," said Sazedur, also the MD of KPC Industry.
According to him, the SME sector has again been hit hard by the second wave of Covid. "The government has so far been very supportive of the sector, but the problem lies at the loan distribution level. Many SMEs are already out of the banking system. If more help is not extended to the sector in the coming fiscal, then many more SMEs will disappear."
Also read: Central bank to support SMEs build resilience
The small entrepreneurs also seek a substantial cut in the value-added tax on various items in the upcoming budget -- from the existing 15 percent to 5 percent. "Lower taxation will, in turn, benefit the economy as many SMEs don't acquire trade licenses to avoid paying 15% VAT. So, a cut in VAT will benefit both the government as well as the SMEs," Sazedur said.
"Moreover, the central bank should immediately impose a moratorium on old loan repayments as it has already extended the deadline till June 30 for banks to disburse stimulus funds among businesses in the cottage, micro, small and medium enterprise (CMSME) sector. Otherwise, many defaulting entrepreneurs won't get the benefit."
Read Raise threshold for financial reporting of SMEs: DCCI
Ambitious ADP worth Tk 2.13trn on the cards
The annual development programme (ADP) for 2021-22 fiscal will prioritise the transport, education, health and agriculture sectors, with a view to off-setting the adverse impacts of the coronavirus crisis that have weighed on the economy since March last year.
According to the Planning Commission and Planning Ministry sources, the size of the ADP in the upcoming budget is likely to be in the range of Tk 2130 billion- just over a third of what is shaping up to be a Tk 6 trillion finance bill.
Of the total ADP, some Tk 1500 billion, or Tk 1.5 trillion, would come from local sources while the remaining Tk 630 billion is expected to come from foreign sources.
Some adjustments in the size and source may come when the National Economic Council (NEC) approves the final ADP for the next fiscal.
The number of projects to be included in the ADP for 2021-22 is around 1900, including 1480 investment projects.
For the 2020-21 fiscal, which expires on June 30, the government is working with an ADP of Tk 2051.45 billion, giving the highest priority to the transport sector.
Also read: ADP for new fiscal year likely to be cleared Tuesday with tough challenges ahead
Of the original ADP, Tk 1346.43 billion was slated to come from local sources while Tk 705.02 billion from the foreign sources.
The number of projects in the ADP was 1584 to start with, including 1456 investment projects, 127 technical assistant projects, and one project from the Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF). Besides, there were 89 projects of the autonomous bodies and corporations.
But the National Economic Council (NEC) in March approved a revised ADP of Tk 1976.43 billion, downsizing it by some Tk 75 billion..
The entire reduction was down to a cut in the foreign funding, which came down to Tk 630 billion from Tk 705 billion.
LPG operators to get services under one roof soon
Bangladesh’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) operators are likely to get one-stop service (OSS) in receiving different licenses from various agencies which will ultimately play a vital role in reducing their operational costs.
According to official sources, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division will initiate a move for introducing such OSS as part of ease of doing business ethics to promote and smoothen the growing business in the LPG sector.
"We will introduce the OSS like the one in the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) system to bring all the services under one umbrella,” said Anisur Rahman, senior secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.
Also read: Introduce tracking system for LPG, CNG cylinders: Nasrul Hamid
He said this OSS will be introduced within six months. “If necessary, we’ll place the issue at the top level of the government.”
At present, the LPG operators have to take permission from various administrative and licensing bodies, including Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC).
In some cases, the operators have to move up to 21 offices from a district-level administration to ministry-level office, said Jakaria Jalal, head of marketing of Bashundhara LPG, a leading operator.
Read Private companies’ 12kg LPG price re-fixed at Tk 906
Industry insiders and consumers right groups said multiple regulators in the energy sector have made the services costlier for both the operators and the consumers, casting a big impact on the tariff, especially in the LPG and CNG businesses.
“Consumers have to bear the brunt of huge amounts paid in fees annually by the business operators,” said an energy expert.
President of LPG Operators of Bangladesh (LOAB) Azam J Chowdhury at a recent seminar said any bulk liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business operator has to pay annually about Tk 13.5 million (1.35 crore) in total to 13 regulatory bodies to obtain licenses or to renew them for business.
Also read: LPG distribution launched by UN partners in Cox’s Bazar
The licensing bodies and the amount of their fees are Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Tk 35,65,000, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) (proposed) Tk 25,00,000, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Tk 40,000, Department of Environment (DoE) Tk 205,000, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) Tk 12,04,158, Department of Explosives Tk 116,000, Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense (BFSCD) Tk 120,000, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Tk 25,00,000, and city corporation/local government body Tk 93,760.
The other bodies and their fees include Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishment (DIFE) Tk 320,000, Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports (CCI and E) Tk 61,000, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Tk 10,350 and Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC and F) Tk 27,60,000 (assuming an authorised capital Tk 3 billion or 300 crore).
During a public hearing recently held by the BERC, officials of large six private LPG companies also raised the issues and demanded a single regulatory authority to monitor their business and introduction of a one-stop service at the prime regulator's office.
Read LPG operators to get services under one roof soon
Hasin Pervez, a leader of the Bangladesh CNG Filling Stations and Conversion Workshop Owners Association, brought a similar allegation saying that they have to pay fees to 22 bodies to take licenses for LPG and CNG business.
"The most bothersome part, in this case, is that there’s no serial to maintain in seeking licenses or permission from among the bodies like deputy commissioner (DC) office, BPC, or any other authority," he said.
Once anybody applies to the DC office, its officials ask the applicant to take licenses from other agencies first and then apply, he added.
Read Omera LPG introduces home delivery services in lockdown
Hasin Pervez noted that when applications are filed to other authorities, they direct to bring the DC Office's permission first and then apply to them.
Echoing the allegation, Prof Shamsul Alam, an adviser to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said the consumer rights body will also prefer a single regulator in the energy sector.
"We're of the same opinion that multiple regulatory bodies only create complications in business and enhance costs which cast an impact on the energy tariff, and finally consumers have to pay the price," he said.
Read LPG terminal project at Matarbari to get consultant
Backing their views, former member of the BERC Mizanur Rahman said there should be a single and prime regulatory authority with one stop service facilities that will coordinate with other government agencies.
He said the BERC has already simplified some of the processes in applying for a license for energy business by reducing the number of required obligatory documents.
"But still there’s a scope for doing much more to further ease doing business in the energy sector," he told UNB.
Read BPC’s ballooning operations call for augmented manpower
He also suggested fixing the fees rationally so that it does not affect the consumers.
BERC Member (Gas) Maqbul-E-Elahi Chowdhury said they have already prepared a draft to reduce the annual license fees for different businesses in the energy sector.
Juicy mango set to see yield drop as drought hits Chapainawabganj hard
Mango, the king of all fruits that prompted many poets over the ages to write great poems, is likely to be costlier this summer as drought is going to take its toll on its yield in Chapainawabganj.
Immature mangoes are falling off trees across the district due to prolonged drought even though the farmers have been trying to control the damage by spraying water on mango trees.
According to farmers, mangoes are grown prematurely for lack of water inChapainawabganj, the leading producer of the popular fruit.
They said severe moisture stress has affected most orchards in the district affecting the quality and yield of the juicy fruit this season.
While talking to UNB, the farmers are estimating that the yield could be much lower than the average due to scanty rainfall.
Also read: Chapainawabganj mango growers pin hope on weather
Chemical warehouses: Old Dhakaites still living with ticking time bombs
In Old Dhaka, known for its food, centuries-old buildings and narrow alleys, people are living with “bombs” in the form of hundreds of chemical warehouses that pepper this historic neighbourhood.
Fires at such godowns, which lack safety measures, have killed scores over the years. Eleven years after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the relocation of the warehouses following the death of about 100 people in Nimtoli fire, they are yet to be shifted largely because of vehement opposition by traders.
Another 78 lives were lost in the infamous Chawkbazar fire but the tragic deaths did not bring about any change.
Also read: Armanitola chemical warehouse fire: 2 owners held
After the latest fire incident that started at a chemical storehouse on April 23 at Armanitola killing four people, the government is now saying that these godowns will be relocated permanently to Munshiganj within 2022.
Industries Secretary KM Ali Azam told UNB that preparing a 308-acre plot for relocation is going on in Munshiganj. About 2,000 warehouses can be set up there.
For now, 53 warehouses will be shifted to Tongi temporarily – seven of them have already been relocated. Another 54 will be moved to Shyampur – 19 have already been shifted and the rest will be relocated within three months, the secretary said.
Asked about such storehouses in Dhaka, he said available information put the number at around 2,000. “We can relocate them permanently to Munshiganj within 2022,” Secretary Azam said.
Read BSEC moves to set up chemical warehouse at Tongi
Relocation ‘Very Soon’
A committee, headed by the Cabinet, secretary supervises the relocation of chemical warehouses and all aspects of this trade, he said. The committee has representatives from Rajuk, Industries Ministry, Home Ministry and other related ministries.
This committee also oversees licences for the traders.
Dhaka South City Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer and newly-appointed Rajuk Chairman ABM Aminullah Noori told UNB that the Industries Ministry had undertaken two projects to relocate the chemical warehouses from Old Dhaka. The projects are in Munshiganj and Tongi.
The one in Tongi is expected to be completed within this year. “Once they’re ready, all the chemical warehouses will be moved out of Old Dhaka,” he said.
Also read: Fire guts 3 Keraniganj chemical warehouses, 10 hurt
He, however, did not give a timeframe for completion of the projects. “We’re optimistic about relocating them very soon,” he said.
Aminullah said the unplanned warehouses of Old Dhaka are a long-time issue.
“It can’t be resolved without the cooperation of local traders and residents. Moving the warehouses took time because of the local traders’ opposition,” he said, adding that the government is continuing its efforts and is optimistic that godowns will be relocated soon.
Read Armanitola building fire: One more victim dies
Ticking Time Bombs
Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) General Secretary Dr Adil Mohammad Khan said: “The people in Old Dhaka are living on a bomb. The warehouses were not moved even 11 years after the Nimtoli tragedy.”
He said such incidents will recur if the government does not take strong steps to protect the people’s lives and properties.
“The chemicals stored in Old Dhaka and other areas pose a constant threat of deadly explosions. Necessary steps should be taken after finding out the reasons why the warehouses were not relocated even after the Nimtoli and Churihatta incidents,” he said adding that exemplary punishment should be meted out.
Also read: BSEC moves to set up chemical warehouse at Tongi
Adil lauded the city corporations for not issuing trade licences for chemical warehouses after the Nimtoli and Churihatta incidents. “The authorities concerned haven’t been able to successfully monitor the chemical warehouse and factories,” he said.
Making Everyone Accountable
BIP said that most of the chemical factories and warehouses in Old Dhaka were not constructed following building code and standard. “People are residing in the same building housing warehouses, a dangerous practice that has been going on for years,” he said.
These warehouses were constructed out of greed, violating the rules. “Their existence has put a big question mark on our pledges to build a modern and livable city,” he said.
Read Fire at Old Dhaka plastic factory brought under control
Backtracking from an earlier decision to relocate chemical warehouses to multi-storey buildings in Keraniganj BSCIC Industrial Estate facing opposition from traders was delaying the relocation. The government decided to shift warehouses by building a plot-based industrial estate.
Many house owners in Old Dhaka are illegally renting out their buildings to be used as chemical factories and warehouses to earn extra bucks. They themselves are living in other areas, leaving their tenants in danger.
“This practice will continue until the house owners are brought under the law. Traders of illegal chemical factories and warehouses should be brought to book,” he said. “And, actions should be taken against the government officials concerned if they’ve neglected their work (in this regard).”
Also read: Fire at Benapole port chemical warehouse
Digital Commerce Policy, Lockdown, Eid: Perfect storm for e-commerce?
As city markets remained closed during the strict phase lockdown that entered into force on the very first day of Ramadan, as well as the Bengali New Year on April 14, buyers started moving to online shopping to purchase different items ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest festival for Muslims.
The business insiders said their sales have immensely boosted thanks to the covid-19 pandemic across the country. Even rural people also move here due to easy accesses and offer prices in different products including essential commodities, home appliances and apparel items.
They also sought the government’s support for the facilitation of uninterrupted e-commerce services throughout the country.
According to the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB), the sales of products through the digital platforms went up 70 percent year-on-year in 2020 thanks to the pandemic. More than 160,000 deliveries are made in a single day in the country.
Read Online shopping boomed but many falling prey to fraudsters
General Secretary of e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) Abdul Wahed Tomal said they have around 1,500 members. Consumers purchased around Tk 3,000 crore worth of commodities for their daily necessities in the last eight months of 2020.
“A new dimension has been created in the online business in Bangladesh following the pandemic. Though people can’t purchase desirable products ahead of Eid in festive mode as their income came down,” he also told UNB.
Tomal added that a good number of entrepreneurs has been created in the last one year, as many youths couldn’t join in jobs and many had been laid off.
“There are now around 500,000 (5 lakh) Facebook entrepreneurs here. Rural based many entrepreneurs have also made thanks to digital advancement. However, buyers are now uncertain following the lockdown whether the markets will be opened or not ahead of Eid,” he said.
Read Potential of e-commerce hemmed in by bottlenecks
He also said consumers are now purchasing essential commodities and Iftar items from online platforms. They will start to buy the Eid products from next week. Actually people are not now in festive mode to purchase products to enjoy. They also avoided buying Pahela Baishakh items. A rash of buying of products will begin soon.
“Though we get some fraud related allegations from consumers. But we are dealing with the government and traders to resolve the problems,” Tomal added.
Managing Director and CEO of E-valy.com Limited Mohammad Rassel said online shopping is getting popular in Bangladesh day by day. “Our order volume has got higher than earlier. It’s almost twice the previous year. We can’t reveal the exact order number. But in particular products, orders get higher in lockdown period than normal days. Now almost 40% orders are being generated out of Dhaka city. The number was around 20% before pandemic,” he added.
Rassel said they are getting higher orders related to Eid products including fashion items. “For delivery, we have a target to deliver them as soon as possible after successful order placement. We are delivering our products within 2 days. In some cases, it might take some extra time. Whatever, we have been working to deliver Eid products before the Eid,” he also added.
Read 'E-commerce market will be $3 billion big by 2023'
The E-valy chief said during lockdown, the main problem is to source products and deliver them at customers’ doorstep. Because maximum shops are shut and delivery service providers are often challenged by law enforcement agencies. So it is a big challenge now.
“The government is doing great for the boosting of e-commerce industry. We appreciate that they have already recognised this sector. In addition to that government is coming up with a law very soon. We hope that such law will bring benefits for e-commerce platforms, sellers and customers and mostly to the entire industry,” he added.
Talking to UNB, Shayantani Twisha, head of PR, media and communications at Daraz Bangladesh Limited said on a year-to-year basis, the order numbers have always increased exponentially. But in the last year of the pandemic, they have witnessed a new segment of people migrating to the e-commerce platform, leading to Daraz having 3-times more orders than the corresponding previous period in 2020.
“Eid has always been a festive season for us, one which promises a lot of shopping! Even amidst the strict lockdowns, we are going to deliver products within the promised delivery timeline, to any corner of the country,” she added.
Read Boom in e-shopping ahead of Eid - United News of Bangladesh
Asked to identify some bottlenecks in Covid times, Twisha said they have to face "specific area wise lockdowns" imposed by local residents. "Also, during the lockdown, some aspect of the supply chain gets disrupted for which it gets difficult to deliver within the timeline," she also added.
Sakina Begum, a resident of Maniknagar said she purchased different products including daily essentials from online shopping in the pandemic period. “Though, I have to wait for long days to get the products after ordering, I don’t have to leave home, that’s my benefit,” she added.
The Vice President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) SM Nazer Hossain said the sector is rising potentially in Bangladesh but consumers are suffering too.
“We receive huge allegations from consumers. Of them, 80 percent allegations come from e-commerce platforms. After getting the allegations, we call the number but get off. Actually they fraud with consumers in various ways,” he added.
Read Coronavirus bites into online Eid shopping
Nazer said many customers turn away from e-commerce due to hassle by the cheaters. It should be stopped. “More women and silent consumers are harassed more as they don’t want to share the matter with others. So fair business must be ensured to flourish it,” he also added.
He urged e-CAB to cancel members who defraud customers. And the government has to play a significant role to this end.
The Senior Secretary of Commerce Ministry Dr Jafar Uddin said they have already formed a digital commerce cell to implement the digital commerce policy.
“The final work of ‘digital commerce operation guidelines-2021’ is going on. We think to include the entrepreneurs of social media commerce in the guideline. The ministry took various initiatives to boost the sector,” he informed.
Read Bangladesh achieved commendable success in e-commerce
Killing off Coronavirus: Nasal spray developed by Bangladesh to ‘hit market soon’
As the race is on to find a way to get rid of the deadly Coronavirus, Bangladesh has developed a nasal spray which ‘can kill’ the virus on contact, raising hope among many.
Bangladesh Reference Institute for Chemical Measurement (BRICM), set up by the government for the development of chemical metrology, has developed the spray named, ‘Bangasafe Oro-Nasal Spray’.
The BRICM claims that it can help people kill the virus as it is already known that the transmission points of the virus are mouth, nose and the eyes.
Talking to UNB, BRICM Director General Dr Mala Khan said, “Soon, we’re going to introduce a nasal spray having the capacity of killing coronavirus.”
“We got the approval from the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) for its running clinical trial on March 24, and it’ll be completed soon,” she added.
Replying to a question when the nasal spray will be available in the market, Mala Khan said, “We want to make it available at the local market with every preparation and now we don’t want to disclose any further detail of it. But it can be said it’ll be available soon.”
Asked about its price, the BRICM DG said, “It’ll be kept within the buying capacity of general people, and the price will be fixed after reviewing the production cost as we don’t have any intention to make any profit. It’s being produced for the wellbeing of people.”
Replying to another question, she said: “We can produce it as per the demand of people.”
Also read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Daily deaths shoot past 100; new cases fall dramatically
According to the BRICM, coronavirus exists in the nose, ear, mouth and throat, and the spray has the capacity to kill coronavirus in those areas. So, this spray use can help the Corona-infected people to recover from its infections soon.
Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh
After a slight fall for several days, Bangladesh’s daily coronavirus death toll crossed the 100-mark again on Sunday with a sharp fall in new cases.
The fatalities climbed to 11,053 with 101 deaths in the past 24 hours until the morning. The virus also infected 2,922 people, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in a handout.
The daily infection rate rose to 13.33 percent from Saturday’s 13.11 percent while the mortality rate remained static at 1.48 percent.
Also read: Pandemic in Bangladesh: Shops, malls reopen doors
What experts say
Bangladesh is unlikely to see any improvement in the Covid-19 situation before June next as the country is still in the grip of its second wave, predicted by a group of local and international health experts.
Using a mathematical model, Bangladesh Como Modelling Group, a group of experts from both Bangladesh and Oxford University, also projected that the country will witness a similar infection rate intermittently till the end of May while the situation may improve in June.
However, some local experts think the virus is yet to reach its peak as it is spreading fast in newer areas alarmingly since many people had returned to their village homes from corona hotspots before the government enforced the lockdown.
Read Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Daily deaths shoot past 100; new cases fall dramatically