More than 40 organisations, including 34 private banks, on Sunday donated Tk 165.6 crore and surgical masks to the Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund to help the poor affected by COVID-19 fallout.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the donations through a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban.

Representatives of the organisations handed over cheques of donations to PM's Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Of them, the 34 banks, led by Bangladesh Association of Bank (BAB), provided total Tk 164 crore as donation.

Other organisations that made donations are Food Ministry, Foreign Officers Spouse Association (FOSA), Rajshahi Medical University, Institute of Architects Bangladesh, Bangladesh Judicial Employees Association and Minister Group. Alongside the cash money, Minister Group provided 100,000 surgical masks.

The 34 banks are – AB Bank Ltd, Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd, Bank Asia Ltd, BRAC Bank Ltd, City Bank Ltd, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd, Eastern Bank Ltd, EXIM Bank, First Security Islami Bank Ltd, Islami Bank (Bd) Ltd, Jamuna Bank Ltd, Mercantile Bank Ltd, Midland Bank Ltd, Modhumoti Bank Ltd, Mutual Trust Bank Ltd, National Bank Ltd, NCC Bank Ltd, NRB Bank Ltd, NRB Commercial Bank Ltd, NRB Global Bank Ltd, One Bank Ltd, Padma Bank Ltd, Prime Bank Ltd, Pubali Bank Ltd, SBAC Bank Ltd, Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd, Social Islami Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd, Standard Bank Ltd, Trust Bank Ltd, Union Bank Ltd, United Commercial Bank Ltd and Uttara Bank Ltd.

Read Also: PM receives donations for relief fund

Coronavirus situation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18.

The health authorities announced the death of 32 patients and 1,567 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning.

With this, the country’s caseload reached 347,372 with 4,913 fatalities.

During this period, 2,051 patients recovered.

So far, 254,386 patients have recovered, pushing the recovery rate to 73.23 percent.

Currently, there are 88,073 active cases in the country.

A blaze at Banani’s multi-storey Ahmed Tower was extinguished on Sunday afternoon, nearly an hour after the fire erupted.

Fire Service and Civil Defence control room Duty Officer Ershad Hossain said firefighters managed to put out the flames around 12:22pm.

The fire broke out on the 15th floor of the 22-story building located beside FR Tower around 11:34am, he told UNB.

Eight firefighting units were working at the site.

The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are still unclear.

On March 27 last year, 26 people were killed and more than 70 others were injured in a fire at FR Tower.

Read Also : Fire at Gulshan RMG factory extinguished

Coronavirus cases across the globe reached 30,673,633 on Sunday, according to the Centre for System Science and Engineering of Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

The death toll from Covid-19 stood at 955,404 in the morning.

Data compiled by JHU showed that India now has the second-highest number of cases (5,308,014) after the US as of Sunday.

The South Asian country has so far reported 85,619 deaths.

However, Brazil has come to the third position with 4,528,240 cases and 136,532 deaths.

The US is the worst-affected country with 6,764,803 cases and 199,258 fatalities.

Coronavirus cases were first reported in China in December last year. The World Health Organization declared it a pandemic in March.

There is currently no vaccine for coronavirus but a number of promising candidates are in the final stage of trial.

Read Also: Global Covid-19 cases top 30mn: JHU

Situation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh registered 32 more deaths and 1,567 new cases from coronavirus in 24 hours till Saturday morning.

With the latest figure, the country’s total caseload reached 3,47,372 with 4,913 fatalities.

On Saturday, the health authorities reported 2,051 new recoveries.

So far, 2,54,386 patients have recovered, pushing the recovery rate to 73.23 percent.

Currently, there are 88,073 active cases in the country.

Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18.

Read Also: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 32 more die, 1567 infected in 24 hrs

Ghoraghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Wahida Khanam, who is undergoing treatment for injuries sustained during a break-in at her house, has been transferred to Public Administration Ministry as officer on special duty (senior assistant secretary).

Besides, her husband Md Mejbahul Hossain, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Rangpur’s Pirganj, has been made senior assistant secretary of the Health Services Division.

The Public Administration Ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard, saying the order is effective without any delay. 

Ghoraghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Wahida and her father Omar Ali were seriously injured in an attack by miscreants at her home on the Upazila Parishad premises on September 3.

They were initially taken to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital.

Later, the UNO was airlifted to Dhaka. She is currently undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital.

Also read: UNO Wahida’s condition improves further: Doctor

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Saturday forecast light to moderate rain, thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind for a few places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions, in the next 24 hours since 6pm.

The same was forecast for one or two places over Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy falls at places over southern part of the country, a weather bulletin said, adding that weather may remain mainly dry elsewhere over the country.

The bulletin also said mild heat wave is sweeping over Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and the regions of Dhaka, Rangmati, M. Court, Feni, Bogura, Sirajgonj, Mongla, Jashore, Barisal and Bhola. It may continue at some places.

About synoptic situation, the bulletin said the axis of monsoon trough was running through Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across Central part of Bangladesh. One of its associated troughs was extending up to Northwest Bay.

Monsoon was less active over Bangladesh and weak over North Bay.

A low-pressure area is likely to form over Northeast Bay and adjoining areas during the next 24 hours, it added.

During the period, day temperature may remain nearly unchanged while night temperature is likely to rise slightly over the country.

The sun rises at 5:47 am in capital city on Sunday.