COVID-19 infections
Global Covid deaths top 3.84 million
Many countries in the world are still grappling with a spike in Covid-19 infections and deaths, even with mass inoculations underway. In fact, the fatalities have now topped 3.84 million.
To be specific, the total caseload and deaths from the virus stand at 177,363,051 and 3,840,426, respectively, as of Friday morning, as per the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 2,485,778,224 Covid vaccine doses have been administered across the globe, as per the university data.
Also read: Can you mix and match Covid-19 vaccines?
The US has logged 33,508,737 cases and 600,937 deaths to date, according to the university. The death toll in the United States is the highest in the world.
Brazil on Thursday registered 2,335 more deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours, pushing up the national fatality toll to 496,172.
A total of 74,337 new infections were detected during the period, raising the total caseload to 17,704,041, the federal health ministry said.
Brazil has the world's second-highest Covid-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest caseload, following the United States and India.
Besides, India's total Covid tally reached 29,762,793 on Friday morning, while the death toll in the country surpassed 383,582.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh on Thursday morning recorded 63 more Covid-related deaths and 3,840 new cases in 24 hours, showing signs of deterioration in the country's pandemic situation again.
With the new figures, the death toll jumped to 13,345 while the death rate stood at 1.59 percent, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Bangladesh’s fight to tackle the second wave of coronavirus has become tougher after the detection of the Delta variant of the virus in different parts of the country.
The higher infection rate in frontier districts and limited capacities in district hospitals have become a challenge amid the worsening situation.
The total caseload has reached 8,41,087, with the new cases.
Also read: Bangladesh loses 63 more lives to Covid; new infections 3,840
Lockdown extended
The government has extended the ongoing countrywide lockdown till 15 July as the Covid-19 situation continues to worsen.
However, all government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices, banks and financial institutions will remain open maintaining health protocols.
Covid-19: Elections of 163 union parishads, 9 municipalities postponed
Taking stock of the Covid-19 situation in the country, the Election Commission (EC) has postponed elections to 163 union parishads in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Noakhali, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar.
Elections to 68 union parishads in Bagerhat, 34 in Khulna, 21 in Satkhira, 13 in Noakhali, 12 in Chattogram, and 15 in Cox's Bazar have been withheld, which were scheduled for June 21.
The commission has also decided to postpone elections to nine municipalities, out of 11, slated for the same date.
Also read: Covid positivity rate in Bangladesh hits 13.25 %, highest in 46 days
However, 204 other union parishads will go to the polls as per schedule on June 21; by-polls to Lakshmipur-2 will also be held as per schedule on the same date.
The decisions came at an urgent meeting of the commission Thursday amid an upward march of Covid-19 infections in the electoral areas.
Also read: By-elections: 94 aspirants collect nomination papers from the Awami League
The meeting also decided to reschedule by-polls to Dhaka-14, Cumilla-5 and Sylhet-3 to July 28 from July 14.
The commission postponed the polls after considering recommendations of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, local administration, and regional election officials, EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandakar said.
Indian cities unlocking after declining COVID-19 infections
With COVID-19 infections coming down to the lowest level country-wide in nearly two months to 120,529 new cases during the last 24 hours, India’s major cities today announced significant relaxations in lockdowns in New Delhi and Mumbai.
Government and private offices will be allowed to reopen with 50 percent attendance from Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said at a media briefing. Markets and malls will reopen on an odd-even basis from 10 am to 8 pm. Delhi Metro will operate at 50 percent capacity.
In Mumbai too, offices will only be allowed from Monday to function with 50 percent capacity till 4 pm. The same restriction will apply to restaurants both in occupancy level and timing of service. Fifty persons will be permitted at weddings and 20 at funerals.
Also read: Increase in Covid-19 vaccine production in India to be 'game changer' beyond borders: US
Malls and entertainment places, such as theatres, will continue to be locked down, but individual stores may stay open till 4 pm. Local train services will be restricted to those engaged in essential services, but buses may operate at full capacity with no standee passengers.
In Maharashtra state, the government has announced a five-level plan to relax the lockdowns based on the weekly positivity rate and the occupancy of oxygen beds.
Also read: Serum gets govt nod to produce Sputnik vaccine in India
Kejriwal said the Delhi government was preparing for the third wave of COVID-19 infections and projecting 37,000 daily cases at its peak. It was making arrangements for beds, ICUs and medicines with that projection in mind.
India’s latest infection figures show less than 200,000 daily new cases for nine days consecutively and a decrease in active cases by 80,745 in the last 24 hours. Such a pattern of decreases over a sustained period has prompted cities like New Delhi and Mumbai to relax restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Both cities had high infection rates during the second wave of COVID-19.
Dracula’s castle proves an ideal setting for COVID-19 jabs
At Dracula’s castle in picturesque Transylvania, Romanian doctors are offering a jab in the arm rather than a stake through the heart.
A COVID-19 vaccination center has been set up on the periphery of Romania’s Bran Castle, which is purported to be the inspiration behind Dracula’s home in Bram Stoker’s 19th-century gothic novel “Dracula.”
Every weekend through May “vaccination marathons” will be held just outside the storied 14th-century hilltop castle, where no appointment is needed, in an attempt to encourage people to protect themselves against COVID-19.
“We wanted to show people a different way to get the (vaccine) needle,” Alexandru Priscu, the marketing manager at Bran Castle, told The Associated Press.
Those brave enough to get a Pfizer vaccine shot receive a “vaccination diploma,” which is aptly illustrated with a fanged medical worker brandishing a syringe.
“Besides the diploma, people benefit with free entry to the (castle’s) torture rooms, which have 52 medieval torture instruments,” Priscu noted.
Since the light-hearted campaign was launched over the weekend — when nearly 400 people were vaccinated — Priscu said he has received scores of requests from foreigners wishing to get vaccinated in the spooky setting. Bad news for them: only residents of Romania can officially receive a jab.
The campaign runs alongside a series of government initiatives as it pushes to speed up the inoculation campaign for the European Union nation of more than 19 million people. The government is hoping to vaccinate 5 million people by June 1 to herald in a “return to normality.”
On Saturday, all vaccination centers in the country became appointment-free after 2 p.m., and round-the-clock “vaccination marathon” events have been launched in several cities throughout Romania.
Since the pandemic started, Romania has recorded more than 1 million COVID-19 infections and 29,034 people have died.
Bus services resume in Bangladesh cities
Bus services resumed in cities across Bangladesh, including capital Dhaka, on Thursday, albeit with a limited number of passengers.
However, inter-district bus services will remain suspended in the country during the lockdown period. The lockdown-related movement restrictions have been imposed by the government to break the chain of Covid-19 infections in Bangladesh.
Also Read: Lockdown to continue until May 16, intra-district public transport services from May 6
A reality check by UNB in Dhaka revealed that several buses left their depots in the morning and were plying on several key stretches of the capital -- Mirpur Road, Begum Rokeya Sarani, Uttara, Banani and Mohakhali, to name a few.
Like buses, other public transport vehicles like microbuses were also seen plying on the capital's roads and carrying passengers, but with 50 percent of their seating capacity.
People were seen using public transport, strictly adhering to all Covid-safety protocols.
Police said they were keeping a strict vigil on all public transport vehicles and taking action against passengers found without masks or flouting social distancing norms.
Traffic inspector Asaduzzaman said, "Bus services have resumed in the city since morning and we are checking each and every bus to ensure that all passengers maintain all Covid-safety protocols."
UNB's Cumilla correspondent reports: Buses left almost all the terminals in the district, including Shashangacha, Jangalia and Chakbazar, early in the morning. And no passengers were allowed to board the bus without masks.
Public transport services were suspended in Bangladesh on April 5, with the government announcing a countrywide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
However, the government partially resumed the operations of city bus services on April 7 only to suspend the same with the imposition of the countrywide complete lockdown from April 14.
The transport owners' associations have already urged the government to resume bus services in the country and demanded food assistance for all unemployed transport workers across Bangladesh.
Also Read:Covid’s daily death toll in Bangladesh falls to 50
Bus fare increases
The government has increased the bus fares by 60 percent across the country, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on March 30.
On May 31, 2020, the government raised the fares of inter-district (Dhaka, Chittagong and adjoining areas) buses and minibuses by 60 percent in order to compensate vehicle owners carrying 50 percent less passengers to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.
Lockdown extended
The government has issued a notification extending the ongoing lockdown till May 16 with six fresh directives alongside the existing ones to contain the spread of Covid-19.
According to the notification issued by the Cabinet Division, officials of all government, semi-government autonomous and private organisations, banks and financial institutions have been asked to remain at their respective workstations during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Shops and shopping malls will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm, maintaining health guidelines. If any violations are seen, the shopping malls and shops will be closed instantly, says the notification.
Inter-district transport services will remain suspended, while only intra-district transport services will operate adhering to health guidelines from Thursday.
However, launch and train services will remain suspended.
As coronavirus cases have been growing at an alarming rate since mid-March, the government imposed a ‘loose’ nationwide lockdown for one week from April 5 as part of its move to contain its spread.
Also Read:Officials asked not to leave workstations during Eid holidays
Later, a ‘stricter’ lockdown was declared from April 14 to 21. On April 28, the government again extended the lockdown till May 5, with the country struggling to contain the Covid-19 transmission.
On April 23, the Cabinet Division issued a notification allowing shops and shopping malls to operate from April 25 (10am-5pm) on the condition that they would maintain proper safety protocols.
India's virus surge damages Modi's image of competence
India’s hospitals were packed with coronavirus patients, relatives of the sick scrambled to find supplies of oxygen, and crematoriums were running near full capacity to handle the dead.
Yet despite those clear signs of an overwhelming health crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed ahead with a densely packed campaign rally.
“I have never seen such a huge crowd before!” he roared to his supporters in West Bengal state on April 17, before key local elections. “Wherever I can see, I can only see people. I can see nothing else.”
As another deadly wave of COVID-19 infections was swamping India, Modi's government refused to cancel a giant Hindu festival. Cricket matches, attended by tens of thousands, carried on, too.
The catastrophic surge has badly dented Modi’s political image after he drew praise last year for moving quickly to lock down India’s nearly 1.4 billion people. Now, he’s been called a “super-spreader” by the vice president of the Indian Medical Association, Dr. Navjot Dahiya.
With deaths mounting and a touted vaccine rollout faltering badly, Modi has pushed much of the responsibility for fighting the virus onto poorly equipped and unprepared state governments and even onto patients themselves, critics say.
“It is a crime against humanity,” author and activist Arundhati Roy said of Modi’s handling of the virus. “Foreign governments are rushing to help. But as long as decision-making remains with Modi, who has shown himself to be incapable of working with experts or looking beyond securing narrow political gain, it will be like pouring aid into a sieve.”
The 70-year-old, whose image as a technocrat brought him deep approval from a middle class weary of corruption and bureaucratic dysfunction, has been accused of stifling dissent and choosing politics over public health.
When the official COVID-19 death toll crossed 200,000 — a number experts say is a severe undercount — Modi was silent.
His government says it is on a “war footing,” ramping up hospital capacity, supplies of oxygen and drugs.
“The present COVID pandemic is a once-in-a-century crisis,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told The Associated Press. “All efforts are being made to overcome the situation by the central government in close coordination with the state governments and society at large.”
When Modi won national elections in 2014, he presented himself as someone who could unlock economic growth by merging business-friendly policies with a Hindu nationalist ideology.
Critics saw him as craving power over the national welfare and catering to his Hindu nationalist base. They blamed him — although courts exonerated him — in the bloody 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat state, where he was chief minister.
The economy tumbled after his government overhauled India’s cash supply and introduced a goods and services tax. Yet, he easily won reelection in 2019 on a wave of nationalism following clashes with archrival Pakistan.
Despite a second term marred by a souring economy, widening social strife, and deadly clashes with neighboring China, “Modi has proven to be incredibly politically resilient,” said Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
When the coronavirus hit, Vaishnav said Modi took an approach different from former President Donald Trump and current Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
“He never called the virus a hoax. He took it seriously. He encouraged mask-wearing, social distancing. He encouraged the sorts of things health authorities everywhere have been calling for,” he added.
The strict lockdown, imposed on four hours’ notice, stranded tens of millions of migrant workers who were left jobless and fled to villages with many dying along the way. But experts say the decision helped contain the virus and bought time for the government.
Cases rose when the country started reopening in June 2020, and the government developed emergency infrastructure plans. When the wave receded and reported cases plummeted over the winter, many officials saw it as a triumph. States dismantled makeshift hospitals and delayed adding ICU beds and ventilators.
The government had sought to create 162 oxygen plants earlier, but has only built 38. It says 105 more will be built this month.
The fragile health care system was not upgraded enough, said Gautam Menon, a science professor at Ashoka University, “and with the current surge, we’re seeing precisely the consequences of not doing this.”
When cases ebbed in January, Modi crowed about India’s success, telling the World Economic Forum that the country “has saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona effectively.”
His ruling Bharatiya Janata Party hailed his “visionary leadership,” making India a “proud and victorious nation in the fight against COVID.”
In mid-March, tens of thousands attended cricket matches against England at Narendra Modi stadium in Gujarat, an event that swelled national pride even amid warnings that infections were climbing.
On March 21, advertisements on the front pages of newspapers read, “Beautiful Clean Safe,” as Modi and a political ally welcomed Hindu devotees to the Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage to the Ganges River that drew millions throughout April.
By contrast, in March 2020, his government blamed a Muslim gathering of 3,000 for an initial spike in infections in a move that triggered violence and boycotts, even as courts dismissed the accusations.
Critics have blasted the BJP for holding election rallies packed with tens of thousands of unmasked supporters, particularly in West Bengal. Other parties also campaigned to large crowds. Bowing to criticism, Modi began appearing over video instead of live, but the crowds remained.
Though his party was defeated in the state, analysts say he still enjoys popularity nationwide.
Meanwhile, India’s vaccination campaign begun in January has sputtered amid perceptions the virus was defeated. Only 10% of the population has received one shot and fewer than 2% have gotten both since it began in January.
The latest effort to inoculate those between 18 and 44 has been left to states and the private sector — an approach that critics say will make it easier for the government to pass blame when problems arise. Already, several states have said they don’t have enough vaccine to even start.
The surge has sparked assistance from overseas, a reversal of India’s earlier success at “vaccine diplomacy” when it exported 64 million doses. Some say Modi’s flagship self-sufficiency campaign, known as “Make in India,” is being undermined.
“India has long sought to project itself as a strong nation that need not be dependent on any other. Its immediate need for international assistance flies in the face of that image,” said Michael Kugelman of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center.
Some Modi supporters are lashing out. When BJP lawmaker Kesar Singh Gangwar died of the virus in Uttar Pradesh state, his son said Modi’s office didn't help.
“What kind of government is this? What kind of PM is Modi?” said Vishal Gangwar. “If he cannot provide treatment to a lawmaker of his own party, what is happening to a common man is anybody’s guess.”
To circumvent such criticism, the government ordered Twitter to remove posts criticizing his pandemic response. In BJP-run Uttar Pradesh, authorities recently charged a man over a tweet pleading for oxygen for his dying grandfather, accusing him of “circulating a rumor," as top officials deny widespread oxygen shortages.
“To blame social media or users for either critiquing or begging for help is just — I mean, what are their priorities? To help people or silence criticism?” said digital rights activist Nikhil Pahwa.
The level of urban and middle class anger at Modi is unprecedented, political analyst Vaishnav said, although it is blunted by supporters who believe he can do no wrong.
“He shouldn’t be expected to solve all problems by himself. The government machinery which existed before him, full of corruption, is to blame,” said Sunil Saini, a driver in New Delhi. “My vote will go to Modi the next time too.”
Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Around 21 pc of total deaths reported in April alone
Covid-19 claimed 2,404 lives in April alone in Bangladesh, the cruellest month for the country since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
Of the total 11,450 coronavirus-related deaths reported until April 30, 2,404 or 20.99 percent alone were recorded in the previous month.
During the last one month, 147,837 infections were officially registered, according to the handout of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
As the virus continues its onslaught, 568 people lost their lives in January this year, 281 in February and 638 in March.
Dhaka division remains the worst-hit region, registering most of the deaths – 6,714 or 58.33%.
According to the DGHS handout, Bangladesh broke all previous records of Covid-19 deaths registering 112 fatalities in a 24-hour period on April 19.
On April 7, the country recorded its highest single-day cases of 7,626. It witnessed over 100 deaths during April 16-19 and on April 25.
The country is passing through a ‘strict’ lockdown since April 14 but people are still indifferent towards health guidelines and safety rules.
Also read: FM to join China-led virtual meeting on vaccine cooperation
The government later extend the ongoing lockdown till May 5.
Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh
The death toll from Covid-19 hit 11,510 in Bangladesh on Saturday as the country logged 60 more fatalities in 24 hours until Saturday morning, as all efforts to stop the pandemic have apparently gone in vain.
However, the country reported new cases of 1,452 during the 24-hour period ending at 8am, which was said to the lowest daily count in 48 days.
The overall infection tally reached 760,584 with the new cases and the positivity rate fell to 9.61% from Friday's 10.34%. But the death rate remained unchanged at 1.51%, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The country's infection rate came down below 10% on Thursday after over a month, as it reported a 7.68% infection rate on March 17 and it rose to 10.45% the following day. Since then, the infection rate began an upward march.
Also read: Bangladesh approves local production of Russian, Chinese Covid vaccines
Bangladesh on Friday reported its single-day Covid-19 death toll of 57, the lowest in 25 days.
According to the DGHS, 684,671 infected people have recovered from the disease so far and 3,245 of them in the past 24 hours.
Global Covid-19 cases approaches 152 million
The confirmed case of coronavirus is approaching 152 million across the globe with 3.18 million fatalities on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The total case count reached 151,774,770 while the death toll from the virus climbed to 3,188, 331 as of Sunday morning.
The US which remains the world’s worst hit country in number of cases and deaths has recorded 32,389,652 cases and 576,719 deaths respectively.
Brazil’s national death toll climbed to 406,437 and its nationwide tally reached 14,725,975 as of Sunday morning, according to data compiled by JHU.
April has been the month with the most deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic in the Latin American nation.
Since the beginning of this year, Brazil has been facing a new wave of the virus, which has resulted in the collapse of a large part of its healthcare system.
Amid the monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India has logged 19,164, 969 cases with 211,853 fatalities.
The authorities concerned in India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country’s vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people.
Also read: India cases set new global record; millions vote in 1 state
The country’s ambitious effort was also partly overshadowed Saturday by a fire in a COVID-19 ward in western India that killed 18 patients, and the death of 12 COVID-19 patients at a hospital in New Delhi after the facility ran out of oxygen for 80 minutes, reports AP.
Situation in Bangladesh
The death toll from Covid-19 hit 11,510 in Bangladesh on Saturday as the country logged 60 more fatalities in 24 hours until Saturday morning.
However, the country reported new cases of 1,452 during the 24-hour period ending at 8am, which was said to the lowest daily count in 48 days.
The overall infection tally reached 760,584 with the new cases and the positivity rate fell to 9.61% from Friday's 10.34%. But the death rate remained unchanged at 1.51%, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On March 14, Bangladesh reported 1,159 cases in 24 hours. The country's infection rate came down below 10% on Thursday after over a month, as it reported a 7.68% infection rate on March 17 and it rose to 10.45% the following day. Since then, the infection rate began an upward march.
According to the DGHS, 684,671 infected people have recovered from the disease so far and 3,245 of them in the past 24 hours.
Also read: Covid claims 88 more lives in Bangladesh, infection rate falls below 10 pc
Bangladesh has so far carried out 548,4821 nationwide tests since reporting its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year the first death on the 18th of that month.
The country recorded 52 coronavirus-related deaths on April 5, 78 on April 27, and 77 on April 28, showing a downtrend. It witnessed over 100 deaths during April 16-19 and on April 25.
COVID-19 infections approaching highest rates ever, WHO warns
COVID-19 infections are approaching their highest rates since the pandemic began just over a year ago, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday.
“Around the world, cases and deaths are continuing to increase at worrying rates”, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during his regular briefing, reports UN News.
“Globally, the number of new cases per week has nearly doubled over the past two months. This is approaching the highest rate of infection that we have seen so far during the pandemic.”
As of Friday, there were 138.5 million cases worldwide, and more than 2.9 million deaths. The pandemic was declared in March 2020.
Tedros said some countries which had previously avoided widespread virus transmission are now witnessing “steep increases” in infections, with Papua New Guinea serving as an example.
Concern for Papua New Guinea
The Pacific island nation, which has a population of around eight million, had managed to keep the disease at bay. Up until the beginning of the year, there were less than 900 cases and nine deaths.
Currently, more than 9,300 cases and 82 deaths have been recorded, and all 22 provinces have been affected. The country’s health Minister, Jelta Wong, who also briefed journalists, said half of all cases and deaths were reported in the last month alone, and health workers are increasingly among those infected.
Also read: No region in the world spared as virus cases, deaths surge
“Our biggest challenge is seemingly to the late adaption or acceptance of the ‘new normal’ and the disbelief in the disease itself,” he said. “This overlaps into much infodemic - and conspiracies and misinformation on the safety and the efficiency of the vaccines.”
The situation in Papua New Guinea, or PNG, is concerning, Tedros said, as it could lead to a much larger epidemic. Late last month, Australia donated some 8,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to its neighbour, and an additional 132,000 doses were delivered this week through the COVAX solidarity initiative.
Vaccine equity now
Tedros said PNG was a perfect example of why vaccine equity is so important, an issue which the WHO chief and other senior UN officials have repeatedly highlighted.
Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Financing for Development Forum that “to end the pandemic for good, we need equitable access to vaccines for everyone, everywhere.”
WHO continues to assess the pandemic’s evolution. Its Emergency Committee on COVID-19 met this week and Tedros said he will receive its latest advice on Monday.
Also read: Countries worldwide hit new records for virus cases, deaths
Update on virus variants
Monitoring of the COVID-19 virus variant first detected in India continues, WHO said on Friday.
The B 1 617 variant, which has two mutations, emerged at the end of last year and cases have been reported in other countries across Asia and North America.
“This is one variant of interest that we are following,” said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the agency’s Technical Lead on COVID-19.
“Having two of these mutations, which have been seen in other variants around the world, are concerning because there’s a similarity in these mutations that confer increased transmissibility, for example. Some of these mutations result in reduced neutralization which may have an impact on our counter measures, including the vaccines.”
Strengthening surveillance
COVID-19 variants have been reported in the United Kingdom and South Africa, while a third that was first detected in Japan is circulating in Brazil and elsewhere.
Dr. Van Kerkhove said WHO and partners have been bringing together countries, researchers and different networks, to strengthen global monitoring and assessment of the new coronavirus.
Also read: Shocking imbalance in Covid vaccine distribution: WHO
“It’s really important that that assessment is robust so we understand what each variant of interest and variant of concern means for transmission, for severity and for impacts on diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines”, she said.
COVID-19 vaccines developed so far have been effective against the variants, she added, “but we want to have a system in place should there need to be a change in some of our counter measures going forward.”
Holy Ramadan begins tomorrow
Muslims in Bangladesh will start observing the holy month of Ramadan, the lunar month of self-purification through fasting and abstinence, from tomorrow, Wednesday.
The moon was sighted on Tuesday.
Lailatul Qadr, the night of divine blessing and benediction, will be observed on the night of May 9.
The National Moon Sighting Committee took the decision at a meeting held at Islamic Foundation's Baitul Mukarram office.
Also read: 'No iftar gatherings, sehri in mosques during Ramadan'
Muslims are meant to fast from dawn to dusk during the lunar month, a time of restraint and austerity.
This year, maximum 20 people, including two imams, can attend Tarabi prayers in mosques.
The step was taken to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.
Besides, no public gathering for iftar will be allowed.
Also read: Govt reschedules office timing for Ramadan
On April 6, the Religious Affairs Ministry asked people to offer Zohr prayers at home instead of Jum’a on Friday considering the current situation of coronavirus.
This year, devotees have been directed not to arrange iftar gatherings and sehri in mosques during Ramadan to contain the recent surge in Covid-19 infections.
The Religious Affairs Ministry on April 5 issued new directives in this connection.
The government has rearranged the office timing for Ramadan from 9am to 3:30pm for all government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions.
Also read: Soaring veggie prices sour festive spirit for city residents
Meanwhile, residents of as many as 13 villages in Faridpur began the fasting month on Tuesday, in accordance with Saudi Arabia.
The residents of the villages under Shekhar and Rupapat unions in Boalmari upazilas began their dawn-to-sunset fast after having ‘Sehri’ in the early hours, said Mohammad Israfil Molla, chairman of Shekhar Union.