coronavirus situation
2 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine to reach Dhaka soon
Commercially purchased two million doses of Sinopharm vaccine are on the way to reaching Bangladesh from China.
The consignment is expected to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 1am in two aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said Hualong Yan, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka.
Also read: Bangladesh to receive 45 lakh vaccine doses from COVAX, China within 2 days: Minister
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque will receive the vaccine doses.
'Dangerous period' with delta variant: WHO
The head of the World Health Organization says the world is in “a very dangerous period” of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the more contagious delta variant is identified in nearly 100 countries.
At a press briefing on Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the delta variant, first found in India, is continuing to evolve and mutate, and it is becoming the predominant COVID-19 virus in many countries.
Also read: Delta variant exploits low vaccine rates, easing of rules
“I have already urged leaders across the world to ensure that by this time next year, 70% of all people in every country are vaccinated,” he said, adding that would effectively end the acute phase of the pandemic.
He noted 3 billion doses of vaccine have already been distributed and, “it’s within the collective power of a few countries to step up and ensure that vaccines are shared.”
Also read: What should I know about the delta variant?
Of the vaccine doses given globally, fewer than 2% have been in poorer countries. Although rich countries including Britain, the U.S., France and Canada have pledged to donate 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines, WHO estimates 11 billion doses are needed to immunize the world.
Two mosques present two pictures of adherence to guidelines
No mosque in Dhaka, sometimes called the City of Mosques, has gone as far as cancelling Friday’s Jummah prayer. All that is really expected of them is to follow the government guidelines on social distancing amidst the coronavirus outbreak.
Visiting two mosques in the capital, two different scenarios have been captured by the UNB photographers.
A relatively small number of devotees at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque have offered Jummah prayer maintaining social distance.
Covid-19 burials: Quantum volunteers working through this lockdown too
The Quantum Foundation, one of the voluntary organizations in the country, is actively involved in the burials of coronavirus victims, even amidst an all-out lockdown across the country.
Thousands of Quantum volunteers are working 24 hours a day or night for the burial of the deceased, regardless of religion, said a press release from Quantum Foundation.
Despite the lockdown, relentless humanitarian service activities are going on all over the country including the capital.
Khandaker Sajibul Islam, who is in charge of Quantum Burial in Kakrail, said, "We were able to bury 20 bodies of coronavirus victim in Dhaka till night on the first day of the nationwide lockdown on July 1."
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 132 more daily deaths, 8,483 cases
Quantum Foundation workers have buried nearly 4,000 bodies since 2020.
Quantum has been working for the burials of bodies with coronavirus or corona symptoms since the beginning of Corona in April, 2020.
Lockdown: 320 held for violating lockdown rules on Day 2
Police arrested 320 people from capital Dhaka for violating lockdown restrictions on Friday.
The arrestees were sued under the DMP Ordinance with different police stations of the capital from Friday morning till 5pm, confirmed Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Iftekhairul Islam.
Also, mobile courts fined 208 people on the second day of "stringent lockdown."
Moreover, 68 vehicles were sued and fined Tk 1,19,900 during this time.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 132 more daily deaths, 8,483 cases
According to the latest information on traffic, a total of 219 cases have been filed and fines of Tk. 5,45,500 for violating lockdown restriction on Friday.
Meanwhile, Army personnel were also seen patrolling the streets of Dhaka, as the government scrambles to bring the Covid-19 situation under control.
Though there were fewer private and commercial vehicles on the main roads as compared to Thursday, rickshaws that provide last-mile connectivity to the residents were seen plying at many places.
Also read: Lockdown: Dhaka dons deserted look on Day 2
Police and Rapid Action Battalion members were seen monitoring the movement of vehicles and people after setting up check-posts in different areas of the capital on the 2nd day of the lockdown.
Earlier, the law enforcers detained 373 people and arrested 550 people from different areas of the capital till 5pm on Thursday, said police sources.
Bangladesh entered a stringent lockdown, with patrol teams in the streets to convince people to stay home from Thursday.
Covid swallowing people in Bangladesh; 132 more die
As Covid-19 cases keep surging at a breakneck speed across Bangladesh, the country reported more than 100 deaths for the sixth straight day until early Friday, after confirming its first fatality on March 18 last year.
The new number, 132 deaths, took the country's toll to 14,778. Bangladesh reported 143 deaths on Thursday, its highest-ever daily fatality from the pandemic, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also, 8,483 people were diagnosed with the disease from 30,012 sample tests in the preceding 24 hours, bringing the country's caseload since the beginning of the pandemic to 930,042. Bangladesh reported its highest single-day cases of 8,822 on Wednesday.
The country's test positivity rate reached the peak at 28.27%, which was 25.90% on Thursday and 24.87% on August 4 last year.
Also read: Lockdown: Dhaka dons deserted look on Day 2
Also, new infections have been averaging nearly 7,000 for the past few days – 99% of the peak. The highest daily average was reported on April 9.
Bangladesh to receive 45 lakh vaccine doses from COVAX, China within 2 days: Minister
Bangladesh will receive 45 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine from COVAX facility and China within the next couple of days.
Twenty-five lakh doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine under COVAX facility will arrive in Dhaka on Friday and Saturday in two separate consignments.
On the other hand, Bangladesh will receive two consignments of commercially purchased Sinopharm vaccine doses -- 11 lakh and 9 lakh -- in the next two days.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque shared the updates in a video message on Thursday.
Read: 80pc people to be vaccinated by March: Zahid Maleque
“Around 12 lakh vaccine doses will reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:20 pm on Friday and the rest on Saturday,” said the minister.
The minister will be present at the airport on Friday.
Earlier, Deputy Chief of Mission at Chinese Embassy in Dhaka Hualong Yan said the first consignment of 2 million doses of vaccine as part of Bangladesh government's commercial purchase from China's Sinopharm are ready for delivery in Beijing.
Scientific evidence to guide decision on SSC, HSC exams: Dipu Moni
The decision on SSC, HSC, and equivalent exams will be taken soon in a scientific and controlled manner, Education Minister Dipu Moni said Wednesday.
"We make decisions based on the advice of the National Advisory Committee on Covid-19," she said.
Talking about the demand to reopen educational institutions, the minister said, "We cannot put the lives of students at risk now by bringing them back to classrooms when the Covid-19 situation is getting worse in the country."
Also read: Bangladesh sees record high daily Covid cases of 8,822; 115 more die
"The educational life of students has been turned upside down by the pandemic all over the world. However, it would be unscientific to reopen educational institutions until the infection rate drops to 5% or below that. The current test positive rate is 24% in Bangladesh; it is even 50% or more in some districts," Dipu Moni said.
Appellate Division proceedings to continue virtually during lockdown; regular judicial work to be curtailed
During the nationwide strict lockdown from Thursday, regular court proceedings across the country including the Supreme Court will remain closed.
However, for emergency cases the chamber judge of the Appellate Division, three single benches of the High Court division and a magistrate each in the chief judicial magistrate court in each district and the chief metropolitan magistrate court in the metropolitan area would be available to serve until further orders.
The Appellate Division will also conduct proceedings remotely from home on two days during the initial 7-day lockdown.
The court officials and employees were instructed not to leave the workstation during this time.
Signed by Registrar General of the Supreme Court Md. Ali Akbar, separate notifications to this effect were issued Wednesday.
Also read: Govt outlines restriction rules ahead of ‘tough’ lockdown
The Appellate Division to go virtual
Amid the lockdown, the judges of the Appellate Division have decided to keep the virtual court open on July 6 and 7, from their respective homes.
For this, the concerned lawyers were asked to keep the case documents in their respective homes. They were told to stay at home to hear the case. For this, two officers of the Appellate Division were also instructed to join the court virtually from home.
However, the lawyers were asked to contact the Registrar General of the Supreme Court, the Registrar of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division and the Special Officer of the Supreme Court regarding any hearing in the chamber court.
Three HC benches to conduct
Although the normal trial was suspended due to the lockdown, the High Court Division would hear emergency cases virtually from July 1 until further orders.
Three benches of Justic Enayetur Rahim, Justice J. B. M. Hassan and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar would conduct according to jurisdiction.
Also read: Violation of lockdown rules to invite legal action, warns DMP
Magistrate court open
Although the normal judicial work would remain closed in all the courts, due to a constitutional obligation there will be a magistrate for the Chief Judicial Magistrate in each district and the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in the metropolitan areas.
However, Dhaka, Chattogram and Rajshahi divisions, being the busiest, were instructed to have one or more magistrates.
The notification instructed the judges and court officials not to leave their workstations.
At the same time, lawyers and litigants were asked not to come to the court premises during the lockdown.
Child to appeared directly in court
Due to a constitutional obligation a child involved in a conflict could be presented before a magistrate physically at the court.
Covid positive former fisheries minister Narayan Chandra hospitalised
Former fisheries and livestock Minister Narayan Chandra Chando and also Khulna-5 MP, was hospitalised Wednesday after testing positive.
He was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University at around 9am, Khulna District Awami League Joint Secretary Advocate Farid Ahmed told UNB.
Also read: Bangladesh sees record high daily Covid cases of 8,822; 115 more die
Bangladesh's Covid-19 situation is getting from bad to worse. It reported a record-high number of daily Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours till Wednesday morning after confirming its first cases on March 8 last year.
The country, battling to get a second coronavirus wave under control, also reported more than 100 deaths for a fourth straight day.
Also read: Nationwide mass vaccination to resume Thursday
The new 8,822 cases have pushed Bangladesh's caseload to 913,258, and 115 more fatalities brought its toll to 14,503.