Popular model and actress Rista Laboni Shimana passed away on Tuesday (June 04, 2024) morning due to a brain haemorrhage at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). She was 39. Her brother, Ejaz Bin Ali, and her ex-husband, singer Parvez Sazzad, confirmed the matter. Anhar Ahmed Chowdhury passes away Shimana breathed her last around 6:00 am on Tuesday. Earleir, she was admitted to a hospital on May 21 after suffering a brain stroke and having been unconscious for the past 14 days. She went through several complications and was put on life support. According to her family, Shimana fell ill all of a sudden on the night of May 21 and was rushed to a private hospital in Dhaka's Dhanmondi. Later, she was shifted to another hospital in Dhanmondi for better treatment the following day. National flag’s first designer Shib Narayan passes away The actress was then admitted to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in the capital's Agargaon, where she underwent brain surgery on May 25. Due to her deteriorating health, she was then moved to BSMMU, where she was put on life support last Wednesday. Rista Laboni Shimana entered the country’s entertainment arena in 2006 with the star-studded Lux-Channel i Superstar competition, which launched the careers of several popular actresses, including the winner of that season, Zakia Bari Momo, runners-up Afsana Ara Bindu and Azmeri Haque Badhon, and others. Veteran social worker Aziz Mallick passes away She appeared in Tauquir Ahmed's film "Daruchini Dwip," which also featured her other contestants from that competition, and gained critical acclaim for her acting. Since then, Shimana has been a regular in television dramas and series, commercials, and films. After getting married to the popular singer Parvez Sazzad in 2014, Shimana took a hiatus from the industry for a while in 2016 due to her motherhood. The couple eventually got divorced later, Shimana got married for the second time in 2019, and the actress returned to the industry last year.

The three-day ‘Bangladesh International Healthcare Expo 2023’ is going to kick off from September 28 with the aim to exchange knowledge in health and new ideas among physicians at Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Convention Hall of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka. This information was revealed at a press conference at Nasrul Hamid auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity on Monday morning. One ‘Suvidha International and Empathy Solutions’ is organising the expo. Dengue claims 300 lives already in September Murad Hossain, proprietor of the organizing firm, read out the written statement of the conference. He informed that representatives of over 30 hospitals from Bangladesh, India, Iran, Turkey, Thailand and Malaysia will participate in the expo which will continue till October 30. At least 10 workshops on eight health issues will be held during the expo and a quiz session will also be followed by each workshop, he said.  The winning doctor of each quiz session will get a chance to train free of cost in any out of the six participating countries, the owner said. Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 10 new cases in 24hrs A total of 17 physicians will be honoured with commemorations, he added. Dalip Kumar Chopra, director of Empathy Solution, said the object of the expo is to exchange knowledge among the participating countries.  20 lakh bags of saline to be procured for dengue patients at govt hospitals Directorate of Health Services’ former Director General Prof Dr. Shah Monir Hossain is the chief advisor of the expo while Foundation of Health Care and Wellness Promotion (FHCWP), Health Tourism Development Centre of Islamic Countries (HTDC), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Service Expert Promotion Council of India (SEPCI) are international associates of the expo. 

A neurosurgical training centre will be introduced in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital (BSMMU) as part of providing neurosurgical treatments to patients, said its vice-chancellor, Professor Dr. Md. Sharfuddin Ahmed. He announced initiatives to introduce modern technology and machinery for ensuring neurosurgical treatments. “We have taken the initiative to introduce modern technology and machinery for neurosurgical treatment. A neurosurgical training centre will be established to train the young neurosurgeons,” he said while addressing the first International Hybrid Conference and Workshop-2023 in Dhaka. He said the hospital had already succeeded in liver and cadaveric transplants. Dr. Mohammad Hossain, dean of the surgery faculty of BSMMU and president of the Bangladesh Society of Neurosurgeons, said they held workshops on how to use modern technology through live surgery. A total of 200 neurosurgeons from Japan, USA, Canada, Brazil, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh took part in the conference.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the physicians to dedicate themselves to extensively serve the general people and behave well with patients. “I would like to request the doctors to dedicate themselves more extensively in providing healthcare services to the general and poor people of the country. You’ll have to go to villages and take care of the rural people. You’ll have to behave well with them,” she said. The premier said this while inaugurating the newly constructed Super Specialized Hospital in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganobhaban. Read Specialized Hospital starts journey in Ukhiya The country’s first super specialized hospital will be an alternative option for many Bangladeshis opting to go abroad for treatment.

Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim, serving a 10-year imprisonment for corruption, was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Monday, after a night in jail. Subhash Kumar Ghosh, senior jail super of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, said Salim was taken to BSMMU around 9:45 am by an ambulance following a court order as he has been suffering from different diseases. Earlier on Sunday, a Dhaka trial court sent Haji Salim to jail in a graft case rejecting his bail petition. Judge of Special Court-7 Shahidul Islam passed the order when he surrendered before the court. Also read: Graft case: Haji Salim denied bail; sent to jail On February 10, the full text of the High Court’s verdict was published upholding his 10-year imprisonment. The HC asked him to surrender to the trial court within 30 days of receiving the verdict. The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against Haji Salim, an MP from Dhaka-7 constituency, and his wife Gulshan Ara in 2007 for allegedly amassing wealth beyond known sources of income and hiding information in the wealth statements. Also read: Graft case: Haji Salim to surrender before court this afternoon ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam said, “After this verdict Haji Selim has lost the eligibility to remain an MP according to the article 66 (2) of the Constitution.”

Bangladesh will face greater health crisis than that of Covid-19 due to antibiotics resistance by 2050, warned Prof Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Monday. The number of death caused by excessive use of antibiotics may be more than double of the Covid-19 fatalities by 2050, he told reporters after a meeting with a Japanese delegation here. Read: CEC vows to win public trust about the body He said steps must be taken to prevent pharmacies from selling antibiotics without prescriptions from registered doctors. Earlier, in the day, a delegation of teachers from Yokohama National University and representatives from two Japanese industrial companies met the VC at his office on Monday.  

Eighty-eight per cent of the total Covid-19 patients of the country were infected with Omicron variant while 12 per cent with Delta during June 29, 2021 to February 9, 2022, says a study. Supervisor of the Genome Sequencing Research Project Professor Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed, Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), on Thursday revealed the findings of an ongoing study at a press briefing. Nasopharyngeal samples of total 937 patients from each division of the country were collected as representative samples for genome sequencing during the period. Also read: 80% Covid patients in Bangladesh of Delta variant: BSMMU survey  According to the survey findings, most of the patients were aged between 30 to 59 years, and children were also infected with the coronavirus, he said. Of the infected patients, 51 percent were women and 49 per cent men. Covid-19 patients with comorbidities like cancer, respiratory disease, heart disease and diabetes showed more severe symptoms. Patients aged above 60 are more likely to die if contracted with the virus for the second time, the study shows. The genome sequencing analysis of samples of Covif-19 patients in July, 2021, showed 98 per cent were infected with Indian Delta variant, one per cent with South African variant or Beta variant while another one per cent with Mauritius or Nigerian variant. However, the samples collected from August, 2021 to first week of December, 2021 showed 99.31 per cent were infected with the Delta variant. 80 per cent of the total Covid-19 patients in the country were infected with Delta variant while 20 per cent with Omicron during December 8, 2021-January 8, 2022, said data from the same study revealed on January 18, this year. Also read: 75% of target population fully vaccinated : Health Minister The results revealed today were from the findings of seven months and 15 days. The ongoing research of the BSMMU team aims to create a Covid-19 genome database of Bangladesh, revealing its characteristics, mutation types and its interrelation with the global Covid-19 genome data. Prof Sharfuddin Ahmed said they are hopeful of updating the results of the coming weeks soon. The survey is being conducted by a BSMMU team, led by Dr Laila Anjuman Banu, a professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology and chair of the Department of Anatomy, collecting samples of patients across the country, he said.

The fire, which broke out at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) building was doused nearly half an hour after the incident on Monday.  No casualties were reported, fire officials said. READ: Rampura power distribution centre fire doused Mohammad Shahjahan Shikder, deputy assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence media cell, said the fire broke out at the D-block of the13th floor of the 17-storey building around 6:21 pm and it spread soon. Five fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control around 6:40 and they took five minutes more to douse the flame fully around 6:45 pm, he said. However, what caused the fire could not be known immediately. READ: Fire breaks out at a multi-storied building at Baridhara

Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and his wife Dalia Firoz have been hospitalised after testing positive for Covid-19. The Chief Justice was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Wednesday night, its Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed said on Thursday. Read: SC trial proceedings to go virtual Wednesday "The top judge's wife was admitted to the same hospital on Tuesday," he said, adding that "both are doing well". "A medical board has been constituted that will take a call on their treatment Thursday noon." However, when contacted, the special officer of the Supreme Court, Mohammad Saifur Rahman, refused to divulge any details. The Registrar General, on the other hand, couldn’t be contacted. On Tuesday, the Chief Justice instructed that the proceedings of both the Appellate Division and the High Court be conducted virtually from Wednesday due to a spike in Covid cases across the country. Read:Covid-19 in Bangladesh: CJ hints at reverting to virtual trial proceedings Thirteen judges of the High Court division and a number of other judges and staff were found infected with Covid-19, said the Chief Justice during a judicial proceeding at the Appellate Division the same day.

Eighty per cent of the total Covid-19 patients in the country were infected with Delta variant while 20 per cent with Omicron during December 8, 2021-January 8, 2022, says a study.  Supervisor of the Genome Sequencing Research Project Professor Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed, Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), on Tuesday revealed the findings of an ongoing survey at a press briefing.  The survey is being conducted by a BSMMU team, led by Dr Laila Anjuman Banu, a professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology and chair of the Department of Anatomy, collecting samples of patients across the country from June 29, 2021 to January 8, this year, he said.  “From the data found, we fear a multiplied surge in the number of Omicron cases in the country in the current month,“ said Dr Sharfuddin.  Nasopharyngeal samples of total 769 patients as representative samples from each division of the country were collected for genome sequencing during the period. READ: Delta variant Covid patients account for 98% in Bangladesh: BSMMU “Some of the Omicron infected patients received two doses of vaccines while a few of them re-infected for the third time with the Delta variant,” the professor added.  Hospitalised patients were not found infected with Omicorn and it might be due to mild symptoms of Omicorn infected patients, he said.  Dr Sharfuddin went on saying, “As patients with mild symptoms are less likely to get them tested for Covid-19, we think there are more Omicron patients in the country who have remained undetected till now.”  From July to December’s first week in 2021, 99.31 per cent patients tested positive with Delta variant while one each sample was of Alpha or UK variant, Beta or South African variant and 20 B variant, according to the genome sequencing data.  According to the survey findings, most of the patients were aged between 21 to 58 years, and children were also infected with Covid-19, revealing that they are not immune to Covid infections.  The mortality rate was found high among the Covid-19 patients with comorbidities like cancer, respiratory disease, heart disease and diabetes. Patients aged above 60 are more likely to die if contracted with the virus for the second time, the study shows. READ: Omicron v. delta: Battle of coronavirus mutants is critical The results revealed today were from the findings of six months and 15 days.  The ongoing research of the BSMMU team aims to create a Covid-19 genome database of Bangladesh, revealing its characteristics, mutation types and its interrelation with the global Covid-19 genome data. Prof Sharfuddin Ahmed said they are hopeful of updating the results of the coming weeks soon.