pandemic
Beggars passing days in increased hardship during lockdown
Kabir Ahmed Miazi, 65, was begging at Jatrabari area of the city amid the lockdown. He earned Tk80 from morning to afternoon on Friday. Earlier, he used to earn Tk300-500 on a normal day there. But the coronavirus hit his income hard as people didn’t go out due to the pandemic.
Not only beggars but also cobblers, hawkers, home servants and day labourers are being affected vastly owing to lockdown in the country.
Bangladesh government announced a lockdown from April 5-11 and extended it by one week up to April 20 due to increased COVID-19 infected cases in the country. Earlier, after the first coronavirus patient detection here on March 8, all education institutions were declared shut from March 17, 2020 in Bangladesh. The country went on general holiday from March 26 to May 30. However, the education institutions will be reopened on May 23, 2021.
Read Bangladesh braces for ‘another weeklong lockdown’
“I came to Dhaka from Chandpur in 2003. We lost all properties due to river erosion then. After coming into the city, I used to pull a rickshaw. But I am forced to beg after a sudden disease. I have been begging several years to survive with my family,” he added.
Kabir said the coronavirus hit his income hard as people don’t go out following the pandemic. “I have to take medicine regularly but I can’t purchase it properly due to financial crisis. I earned Tk300-Tk500 on a normal day but now I earn less than Tk100 following the Coronavirus,” he also added.
He shared that the government had provided relief for the poor last year but he could not get that. “People don’t give alms like prior to COVID-19 as their income came down. Lockdown has created an extra pressure for poor. We tense all times how we eat to survive if the lockdown continues. Besides, it costs Tk1500 as house rent in the Kajla area. Even the prices of daily essential prices are high,” he also said.
Also read: Coronavirus: ‘What option do you have when you’re hungry?’
Covid vaccines should be declared as global public goods: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said Bangladesh firmly believes that coronavirus vaccines should be declared as global public goods and called for a strong partnership to tackle COVID-19 challenges.
The pandemic, she noted, has brought mankind at a crossroad of human history confronting possibly the gravest global challenge of our times.
“The socio-economic impacts of the pandemic are massive and are still unfolding. It is, therefore, extremely important to strengthen the global and regional partnerships through coordinated efforts to address these challenges,” she said.
Prime Minister Hasina said this in her prerecorded video speech at the opening plenary of the four-day annual conference Boao Forum for Asia (BAF) titled “A world in change: Join hands to strengthen global governance and advance Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Cooperation”.
Partnership and Connectivity
Sheikh Hasina focused on three issues –
First, the need for strong partnership to address the challenges posed by the pandemic, and to make vaccines available to everyone by declaring it as global public goods;
Second, the need to work together for harnessing the power of technology as the future will be driven by the 4IR, which comes with opportunities and challenges, and
Covid-19 lockdown: Pran Dairy continues collecting milk from farmers
Pran Dairy has continued collecting milk from its contractual dairy farmers amid the nationwide lockdown – put in place to curb Covid-19.
As Covid-19 cases and fatalities have been on an upswing in the country, the dairy processor is creating awareness among the farmers so that they can supply milk to the collection centres, following proper health guidelines.
Maksudur Rahman, assistant general manager (operation) of Pran Dairy, said: "We are collecting milk from our 12,000 contractual farmers regularly."
Read Lockdown: Sirajganj dairy farmers in trouble again
"Dairy farmers cannot sell milk now as hotels and sweet shops are closed. However, we are collecting all of the milk that the farmers are delivering to our centres."
He also said Pran has five hubs in Chatmohar of Pabna, Gurudaspur of Natore, Shahjadpur and Baghabari of Sirajganj and Rangpur; there are 101 collection centres under the hubs.
"Recently, we have taken steps to increase the number of our collection centre in the southern region. Also, we have set up some collection centres in Satkhira and also started collecting milk from there. Farmers are supplying milk at the collection and chilling centres, maintaining social distancing and following health guidelines," Maksudur said.
Read Coronavirus: PRAN Dairy collects 2 lac liters of milk from farmers
Kamruzzaman Kamal, marketing director of Pran-RFL Group, said: "We are being able to provide products to the customers, thanks to the government's decision to keep the supply of agriculture, dairy and other essential products normal."
"The demand for milk, generally, increases during Ramadan. So, we have introduced home delivery facilities for milk and dairy products," he said in a media release.
Read PRAN Milk Powder launches ‘Amar Little Star’ campaign
Embattled Indian state looks to Bangladesh pharmas for supplies of Remdesivir
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has sought permission from the Indian central government to import 50,000 vials of Remdesivir from Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies for emergency use.
He has written to D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Indian Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, requesting him to allow import and use of the medicine.
Read Nigeria collects coronavirus medicine from Bangladesh
“With the increasing demand for Remedisivir for critical patients in Jharkhand & its unavailability, we have reached out to Pharma companies in Bangladesh for buying around 50,000 vials for emergency use. I have written to DV Sadanand Gowda for permission to import as soon as possible,” Chief Minister Soren tweeted.
He said they have been able to get a quotation from Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd for 50,000 vials of Demsivir Injection (Remdesivir) at a total cost of US$ 1 million, which the Jharkhand government is willing to procure at the earliest in light of the pressing needs of this medicine.
Also read: Covid-19 turns India into vaccine importer from exporter
“I would request you to kindly allow us to import and use the above mentioned medicine from the said company of Bangladesh so that we are able to save the precious lives,” Soren wrote in his letter to Minister Gowda.
Currently Eskayef (SK-F), Beacon, Incepta, Beximco, Healthcare and Square are producing the drug, which was first developed by US biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences.
Also read: Beximco Pharmaceuticals hands over 1000 doses of Remdesivir to Health Ministry
Remdesivir was the first drug approved by US regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is indicated for treatment of COVID-19 disease in hospitalized adults and children aged 12 years and older.
Full approval was preceded by the US FDA issuing an EUA (emergency use authorization) on May 1, 2020 to allow prescribing remdesivir for severe COVID-19 (confirmed or suspected) in hospitalized adults and children, according to Medscape.
Read Beximco Pharmaceuticals hands over 1000 doses of Remdesivir to Health Ministry
Lockdown: Sirajganj dairy farmers in trouble again
The dairy farmers of Shahjadpur upazila in Sirajganj district have run into trouble again as the ongoing lockdown has choked the sales of milk they produce.
Shahjadpur upazila produces some 20.50 lakh litres of milk a day, but now thousands of litres of milk are wasted due to drop in its sales and lack of storage facilities, the farmers alleged.
As the demand for milk in the open market is declining due to the closure of sweetshops, tea stalls and lack of people at haats and bazaars, farmers are counting huge losses.
Visiting different areas of the upazila, the UNB correspondent found many of the farmers staging protests by dumping milk on the streets. Many farmers were also seen roaming at local markets to sell off cows as no option is left for them.
Also read: Jashore dairy farmers count losses as demand falls
According to Sirajganj District Livestock office, a milk-processing factory was set up in 1983 in Sirajganj by Milk Vita, a cooperative state-owned enterprise. And then the upazila saw the mushrooming of cattle farms within years.
Bangladesh children: The silent victims of the virus
With schools shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most children are now confined to their homes. But many of them are still the victims of the virus, as they are spending maximum time in front of screens these days -- be it mobile phones, laptops, or TV, say experts.
According to the experts, children and their gadgets are inseparable today, and this could be dangerous for their mental and physical health. Add to this: prolonged isolation due to lockdown-related restrictions that are forcing them to stay indoors. And the urban children are the most affected.
Read Covid-19: No ‘O’ level, ‘A’ level exams in 2020-21 session
"Feeling isolated can lead to poor sleep, poor cardiovascular health, lower immunity, depressive symptoms, and impaired executive function,” the American Psychological Association said in a recent study on the mental health of children, in a post-Covid world.
In Bangladesh, the government ordered the closure of all educational institutions on March 17 last year after the country confirmed its first Covid-19 cases on March 8. The closure has been extended several times in the past one year, most recently this month, to protect the students from the virus.
Also read: Working for children’s better future: PM Hasina
As education boards across the country could not hold exams, all the students were promoted, based on the evaluation of their previous test results.
But parents claim their stay-at-home wards have become addicted to gadgets over the past one year, keeping in touch with their friends on social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, studying and playing games on laptops or computers, or connecting with acquaintances on mobile phones -- all at the cost of their health.
Rad 'Urban Slum Children Education Programme' a unique example: Zakir Hossain
Covid-19 lockdown: Khulna hunkers behind shutters
The busy streets of Khulna city wore a deserted look on Wednesday, with vanishingly few residents seen out in public at the onset of a fresh seven-day lockdown, with stricter enforcement expected of rules that are already stricter in response to the Second Wave of Covid-19.
All shops except for pharmacies and groceries were shut on Wednesday. Even the always-bustling Shibari intersection, known for a chronic bustle, is almost silent.
The streets were empty. There was no public transport except for a few rickshaws and pushcarts.
Those spotted on the sidewalks were people out for shopping or are hospital employees or emergency service workers.
Also read: Fresh lockdown in Bangladesh: Experts skeptical about having any great result
The nationwide new lockdown that started on Wednesday will continue until April 21.
The law enforcers were seen occupying the city intersections. Police teams were also spotted patrolling the streets. Anyone who was out on the street, defying the government-imposed restrictions, was stopped by them.
All the offices in the city are closed now. However, the emergency services are still running. And the emergency service workers are either moving on foot or using their vehicle.
Mofassil Alam, a showroom owner in Moilapota intersection, said: "We have closed our showrooms following the government's restrictions. We will welcome the customers back if there is a new instruction in this connection."
Also read: Bangladesh put under complete lockdown amid Covid spike
Pilot, a tea seller at Shibari intersection, said: "There are not many customers as Ramadan has begun. The lockdown has also begun. So, I've kept my store shut."
Rickshaw puller Md Moni said, "This lockdown has been very harsh on us. My income has collapsed as the first day of the lockdown wears on. What am I going to eat now?"
The cabinet division on Monday issued a notification declaring a strict lockdown to contain the spike in Covid-19 infections.
All offices, public transport, markets, shopping malls, shops, hotels and restaurants will remain closed until midnight on Apr 21. However, factories will remain open and limited banking services will be available.
Bangalees celebrate Pahela Baishakh virtually amid lockdown
The pomp and colour associated with Pahela Baishakh was absent as people celebrated the event virtually for the second consecutive year amid restrictions imposed to contain the transmission of coronavirus.
The first day of Bangla calendar also saw the country shattering its single-day Covid-19 fatalities record.
With a lockdown in place, festivities and cultural events to mark the Bangla New Year were all held virtually.
Symbolic ‘Mangal Shobhajatra-1428’
The marquee events of the day – the traditional ‘Borsho-Boron’ programme by Chhayanaut and the Mangal Shobhajatra parade by the Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka University – have all been cancelled.
Also read: After lives & livelihoods: Covid strikes at culture, with Pahela Baishakh forced indoors
Both Chhayanaut and FFA broadcast pre-recorded programmes on national TV.
The Faculty of Fine Arts pre-recorded a unique, symbolic Mangal Shobhajatra for 1428 with the participation of the State Minister for Cultural Affairs and fewer than 20 people.
They showcased their banner and 100 prop items made by students and teachers, including face shields and masks in the symbolic procession.
Online events
Renowned cultural organisations and institutions including Chhayanaut, the Faculty of Fine Arts, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Liberation War Museum Bangladesh and many others have observed the day with online festivities and programmes.
Also read: Chhayanaut cancels Pahela Baishakh festivities at Ramna, goes back to virtual celebration with BTV
Chhayanaut had initial plans to arrange and record their programme at the Ramna Park without a live audience at the dawn of April 14, or pre-record the programme before that.
Instead, they broadcast this year’s festivity through a special collaborative programme with Bangladesh Television (BTV) and also on its YouTube channel Chhayanaut Digital - Platform.
Shilpakala Academy also broadcast a live webinar and cultural programme on its official Facebook page and YouTube channel, which was joined by former Cultural Affairs Minister and eminent thespian Asaduzzaman Noor.
Liberation War Museum and Wrishiz Shilpi Goshthi also held online programmes on Facebook on the occasion.
Also read: Google celebrates Pahela Baishakh with new doodle
This year, April 14 also marks the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Bangladesh and some other Muslim countries in the world.
On the occasion, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting the countrymen and all Bangla-speaking people across the globe.
Prime Minister Hasina urged everyone to follow health guidelines and celebrate Pahela Baishakh at home, in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Pandemic dampens Pahela Boishakh celebrations in Bangladesh
For the second year in a row, Pahela Boishakh celebrations remained muted across Bangladesh due to the lockdown enforced by the government to curb the rising cases of Covid-19.
All television channels aired a special programme on Wednesday morning as people stayed indoors on the first day of the Bangla calendar.
Pahela Boishakh is celebrated every year in Bangladesh on April 14. But this year, all programmes have been cancelled to avoid mass gatherings in a bid to break the chain of the virus transmission.
Pahela Boishakh celebrations have become an integral part of the Bangalis since it began more than six centuries ago.
Mughal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar in the year 1556 of the Gregorian calendar in a bid to streamline the timing of land tax collection in the then ‘Subah Bangla’ region, much of which now falls in Bangladesh.
Also read :Online celebrations of Pahela Baishakh continue under shutdown
The day is a public holiday.
Renowned cultural organisations and institutions, including Chhayanaut, the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) of Dhaka University, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and Liberation War Museum Bangladesh (LWM), have all lined up online events to welcome the new year 1428.
The marquee events of the day -- the traditional Borsho-Boron programme by Chhayanaut and the Mangal Shobhajatra parade by FFA, Dhaka University -- have all been cancelled. Both Chhayanaut and FFA broadcast pre-recorded programmes on national TV.
First observed in 1989 by FFA as a colourful procession celebrating the Bengali New Year with the participation of people from all walks of life, the annual Mangal Shobhajatra received the recognition of UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage on November 30, 2016.
Also read: Coronavirus: Chhayanaut cancels Pahela Baishakh programme at Ramna
Unfortunately, the plan to organise the event this year had to be shelved this year due to the Covid pandemic.
"Initially, the Dhaka University authorities decided to arrange a symbolic event on the FFA premises on Pahela Boishakh, as it has always been culturally very significant and this year marks the Golden Jubilee of our Independence. As per the government's lockdown restrictions, we pre-recorded a symbolic Mangal Shobhajatra for 1428 with the participation of our State Minister for Cultural Affairs and fewer than 20 people, showcasing our banner and 100 prop items made by our students and teachers, including face shields and masks," Nisar Hossain, Dean of the FFA, told UNB on Tuesday.
On Monday, Chhayanaut general secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa said, “As we could not celebrate Pahela Boishakh 1427, we had been preparing to organise the programme this year without the crowd at the venue.
But sadly this time too, we have decided to broadcast this year’s event on Bangladesh Television (BTV)."
“The programme showcase a compilation of some of the new and previous performances of Chhayanaut artistes, and this year we are featuring performances focusing on the Golden Jubilee of our glorious Independence. Apart from BTV, Chhayanaut will also broadcast the programme on its YouTube Channel Chhayanaut Digital - Platform," she added.
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) also broadcast a live webinar and cultural programme on its official Facebook page and YouTube channel, which was joined by former Cultural Affairs Minister and eminent thespian Asaduzzaman Noor.
BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky presidedbover the virtual event, which was also be joined by prominent educator Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam, Nazrul Sangeet maestro Khairul Anam Shakil, folk singer Akramul Islam and Rabindra Sangeet singer Lily Islam.
Liberation War Museum and Wrishiz Shilpi Goshthi also held online programmes on Facebook on the occasion.
This year, April 14 also marks the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Bangladesh and some other Muslim countries in the world.
On the occasion, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate massages greeting the countrymen and all Bangla-speaking people across the globe.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged everyone to follow health guidelines and celebrate Pahela Boishakh at home, in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases.
"We have to remember that the lives of the people come first. If (we) survive, we’ll be able to rearrange everything," she said, while addressing the nation on the eve of Pahela Boishakh.
Fresh lockdown in Bangladesh: Experts skeptical about having any great result
A fresh lockdown with harsher measures is going to be enforced in the country from Wednesday (April 14, 2021) in an effort to rein in Covid transmission, but experts say the lockdown is unlikely to help reap any great results for lack of preparations to implement the restrictions.
They said a curfew-like situation must be created during the lockdown by engaging the members of the Army and BGB alongside the regular law enforcers to force people to maintain health safety rules and stay indoors.
The experts also opposed the government’s decision to keep mills and factories open during the lockdown as they fear it will help the virus continue to spread.
Read Local administration ‘vigilant’ in enforcing lockdown in Faridpur
They said the government should have provided the destitute, day-laborers, and slum-dwellers with a specific amount of money to manage their food and livelihood before enforcing the lockdown.
On April 5, a nationwide lockdown was enforced for a week keeping almost everything open. No positive impact of the lockdown is visible as the country witnessed the highest weekly increase in virus infections and fatalities with 47,518 new cases and 504 deaths during the period.
Under the circumstances, the government on Monday issued a set of new directives to enforce a seven-day strict lockdown from Wednesday shutting all the offices and public transports. However, factories will remain open during the lockdown.
Also read: Bangladesh put under complete lockdown amid Covid spike
Lockdown preparations
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director (disease control) of the DGHS, said extensive preparations are needed to implement the lockdown strictly.
"The big problem is that the government is going to enforce the lockdown again without any preparation. “When you want to keep 17 crore people indoors for seven days, it’s a matter of serious preparation. A large number of people are supposed to be engaged in such a move for its successful implementation,” he said.