State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Majumder on Wednesday urged the people not to come out of homes without any emergency work to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Low income people who will be jobless during this crisis period will receive necessary things including food, he said while distributing foods and protective items to low-income people at Monipur High School in the capital.

He distributed 10kg rice, 2kg pulses, 2kg potato, a soap and a hand sanitiser to each family at the programme.

He said that along with Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, and Rangpur have been kept ready to tackle coronavirus situation. Besides, enough PPEs have been ensured for doctors.

The state minister also inaugurated hand sanitiser making activities taken by the school. 

Meanwhile, the government has announced the death of another coronavirus patient in the country. So far, Bangladesh has confirmed 54 cases and six deaths.

Activities of all courts will remain suspended till April 9 to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.

A notification signed by Supreme Court Registrar General Md Ali Akbar was issued on Wednesday in this regard, said Supreme Court representative and High Court Division Special Officer Md Saifur Rahman.

Earlier on March 24, a general holiday was declared for the courts from March 29 to April 2 as per the directive of the Chief Justice.

Meanwhile, the government has announced the death of another coronavirus patient in the country. So far, Bangladesh has confirmed 54 cases and six deaths.

COVID-19, first reported in China, has so far infected 872,972 people globally and killed 43,275 of them, according to Worldometer.

A Bangladeshi citizen died from coronavirus at New Jersey in the USA on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Akbar Mazumder, 50, hailing from Hatli Paschim union of Hajiganj upazila.

Confirming the matter, the victim’s neighbour Mofazzal Hossain Riad, who also lived in the US, said Akbar was hospitalised last week after he was infected. 

He died around 9am on Tuesday, he added.

Meanwhile, the government has announced the death of another coronavirus patient in the country. So far, Bangladesh has confirmed 54 cases and six deaths. 

COVID-19, first reported in China, has so far infected 872,972 people globally and killed 43,275 of them, according to Worldometer.

Cyber Police of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a hacker from Kajlarpar of Kadamtoli in the city on Tuesday night  for spreading rumors over coronavirus on Facebook.

The arrestee was identified as Md Naimur Rahman alias Nayeem, 19, a resident of Chand Mia road of Kajlarpar under Kadamtoli police station. He is a professional hacker, police said.

Additional SP Khairul Alam of Cyber Police Center, CID, said the Cyber Monitoring Team detected a misleading post on social media on March 29. “Someone shared shared a link with us. Following that link, we got a post  which went viral with lots of likes and shares,” he said.

The post claimed that there had been 27 coronavirus deaths at Shanir Akhra and Signboard.
A special team of cyber police started investigation and conducted a drive at Chand Mia road of Kajlarpar at around 11:30pm and arrested Nayeem, said Additional SP Khairul.

During interrogation, Nayeem revealed that he had hacked the ID belonging to his former friend who assaulted him. Naim hacked the ID on March 23 and posted the status on March 29 to take revenge.

He did not stop there. He created another fake ID and used it to provide information about this post to cyber police to get the real owner of the ID arrested.

A case has been filed at Kadamtali police station in this regard, Additional SP Khairul said.

Issuing a note of warning, Inspector General of Police Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary on March 29 said harsher action will be taken if anyone spreads misleading information and rumours about coronavirus through social media.

“Police are constantly monitoring social media platforms, including Facebook. Action has already been taken against those spread rumours about coronavirus and rumour-mongers will face strict action,” the IGP said.

For the first time since 1972, no passenger crossed the border through Hili check post on Tuesday as India is enforcing a countrywide lockdown and Bangladesh has limited the movement of people to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The check post, which resumed operation in 1972 after liberation, was not closed for a single day for crossing of passengers.

According to Hili Immigration Check post office source, after India reported coronavirus case, there were 600 passengers of both countries on daily basis. Most of them went to India from Bangladesh.

On Monday, only a Bangladeshi passenger returned to the country from India. After that, there was no passenger till 3pm Wednesday, said Md Sekandar Ali, officer-in-charge of the check post.

India suspended entry from March 13. Then after March 14, only citizens of two countries crossed the border, he said.

On March 24, India said it will not receive anyone including their citizens.

The OC said the check post remains always out of purview any government holiday. Passenger crossing remains normal during any holiday and festival. 

But there was no passenger since Monday afternoon, he added.

Md Kamal Hossain, president of C&F agents association of the port, said trade between India and Bangladesh has remained suspended following India's lockdown amid coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the government has announced the death of another coronavirus patient in the country. So far, Bangladesh has confirmed 54 cases and six deaths. 

COVID-19, first reported in China, has so far infected 872,972 people globally and killed 43,275 of them, according to Worldometer.