COVID-19
U-19 cricket series between Bangladesh and Pakistan postponed
Due to the recent surge of Covid-19 cases in the country, the Under-19 cricket series between Bangladesh and Pakistan has been postponed indefinitely, confirmed Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury.
In this tour, Pakistan U-19 was scheduled to play a four-day and five one-day matches against their Bangladeshi counterparts.
Also read: BCB eyes long-term plan to prepare U-19 cricketers for future
“We have been in continuous communication with the Pakistan board. We will host the series at a convenient time in the coming months,” he told the reporters on Saturday.
“It’ll possible when we get a situation to host an international team, and we obviously try to host them as early as possible,” he further added.
Also read: World champion U-19 cricketers to get Tk1 lakh each per month
A weeklong lockdown to curb the transmission of Covid-19 was imposed in Bangladesh on April 5 which will come to an end on Sunday. But it apparently is proved to be ineffective as it was unplanned as according to the expert. The government had to backtrack some decisions during the lockdown.
Now, the authority has announced that a stricter lockdown will be enforced from April 14 when except for some emergency services, everything will remain closed.
Coronavirus situation alarming, says BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said the coronavirus situation has reached an alarming level in Bangladesh due to the government’s “indifference and incapability” to take effective preventive measures.
“The government has been exhibiting double-standards in formulating the corona prevention policy. On one hand, they’re saying that we’re giving lockdown and resuming public transport services and reopening shopping malls and shops on the other,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, the BNP leader said, “It means the corona situation has reached such an alarming level only because of their (govt’s) indifference, failure and incompetence.”
Also read: BNP for 'all-party committee' to stop Covid surge
He said health experts are warning that the nation is going to face a serious disaster as over a hundred to thousand people may die from coronavirus next month if the virus continues to surge.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) arranged the discussion marking the Golden Jubilee of the country’s independence.
Fakhrul said people are going through serious sufferings for lack of sufficient Covid test facilities, lack of treatment and ICUs in hospitals.
“This is unfortunate for us that the corona has now taken a terrible turn in the country. The government has not taken any effective preventive measures though the virus has hit the country last year. As a result, the second wave of the virus has come this time, endangering the lives of people and their livelihoods,” he observed.
Also read: Covid situation getting out of hand: BNP
The BNP leader said though the government has started the mass vaccination drive, it is now unable to provide any assurance to people about when the next consignment of the vaccine doses will arrive in the country. "Now, they're saying they’re trying to get vaccines from China and Russia. But it’s too late. "
JSD president ASM Abdur Rob, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna and former vice president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) Nurul Haque Nur, among others, addressed the programme.
Govt urged to allow export-oriented factories to run during lockdown
Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Director Syed Nurul Islam on Saturday urged the government to allow the factories in textiles, garments and accessories sectors to run strictly maintaining health guidelines during the lockdown.
Islam, also a director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), said such decision to keep factories operational during lockdown will help the export-oriented sector of the country continue their struggle to sustain amid the Covid-19 situation.
Otherwise, he said, the government’s stimulus package or support will go in vain.
Also read: Bangladesh again breaks daily Covid death record with 77
The Chairman and CEO of Well Group of Industries made the request in a message sent to media on Saturday.
He said if the factories are allowed to operate with strict health guidelines in place, over five million of male and female workers will be able to survive.
The government has decided to put the country under a strict lockdown for a week from April 14 amid a growing number of Covid-19 cases.
Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
Seventy-seven people died from Covid-19 during 24 hours (till 8am Saturday), according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
This is the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19 recorded in a day so far in the country while the number of daily deaths on April 8 was 74.
Govt to take strict measures against those who create disorder: Anisul Haque
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Saturday said government will take strict measures against anyone who creates disorder and tries to harm public property and people’s lives.
After receiving the second shot of Covid-19 vaccine at city's Armed Forces Medical College Hospital, the Law Minister said this while answering the media.
Also read: Government committed to incorporating ADR into existing laws: Anisul Huq
Anisul Huq warned by saying, ‘Bangladesh has effective law to resist declaration of Jihad or any communal activity against the nation.’
Regarding the second dose of Coronavirus vaccine the minister said taking the second shot will reduce the intensity of the disease.
Also read: Virtual court a new chapter in law: Anisul
Anisul Huq urged everyone to take the second shot by saying ‘Government has the capacity to vaccinate everyone.’
Stalled at first jab: Vaccine shortages hit poor countries
As many as 60 countries, including some of the world’s poorest, might be stalled at the first shots of their coronavirus vaccinations because nearly all deliveries through the global program intended to help them are blocked until as late as June.
COVAX, the global initiative to provide vaccines to countries lacking the clout to negotiate for scarce supplies on their own, has in the past week shipped more than 25,000 doses to low-income countries only twice on any given day. Deliveries have all but halted since Monday.
During the past two weeks, according to data compiled daily by UNICEF, fewer than 2 million COVAX doses in total were cleared for shipment to 92 countries in the developing world — the same amount injected in Britain alone.
On Friday, the head of the World Health Organization slammed the “shocking imbalance” in global COVID-19 vaccination. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus said that while one in four people in rich countries had received a vaccine, only one in 500 people in poorer countries had gotten a dose.
The vaccine shortage stems mostly from India’s decision to stop exporting vaccines from its Serum Institute factory, which produces the overwhelming majority of the AstraZeneca doses that COVAX counted on to supply around a third of the global population at a time coronavirus is spiking worldwide.
Also read: Shocking imbalance in Covid vaccine distribution: WHO
COVAX will only ship vaccines cleared by WHO, and countries are increasingly impatient. Supplies are dwindling in some of the first countries to receive COVAX shipments, and the expected delivery of second doses in the 12-week window currently recommended is now in doubt. In a statement, the vaccine alliance known as GAVI told The Associated Press that 60 countries are affected by the delays.
In vaccination tents set up at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, many of those who arrived for their first jabs were uneasy about when the second would arrive.
“My fear if I don’t get the second dose, my immune system is going to be weak, hence I might die,” said Oscar Odinga, a civil servant.
Internal WHO documents obtained by the AP show the uncertainty about deliveries “is causing some countries to lose faith in the COVAX (effort).” That is prompting WHO to consider speeding up its endorsement of vaccines from China and Russia, which have not been authorized by any regulators in Europe or North America.
The WHO documents show the U.N. agency is facing questions from COVAX participants about allotments in addition to “uncertainty about whether all those who were vaccinated in round 1 are guaranteed a second dose.”
WHO declined to respond specifically to the issues raised in the internal materials but has previously said countries are “very keen” to get vaccines as soon as possible and insisted it hasn’t heard any complaints about the process.
Also read: Are some Covid-19 vaccines more effective than others?
Concern over the link between the AstraZeneca shot and rare blood clots has also “created nervousness both around its safety and efficacy,” WHO noted. Among its proposed solutions is a decision to “expedite review of additional products” from China and Russia.
WHO said last month it might be possible to greenlight the Chinese vaccines by the end of April.
Some experts have noted that Sinopharm and Sinovac, two Chinese-made vaccines, lack published data, and there are reports of people needing a third dose to be protected.
“If there is something that we miss from not having thoroughly evaluated the risks of serious adverse events from these vaccines, that would undermine the confidence in all the good products that we’re using that we know are safe,” said Dora Curry, director of health equity and rights at CARE International.
Other experts worried that delays could erode faith in governments that were particularly efficient in their vaccination programs and were counting on second doses soon.
“In the absence of high vaccination coverage globally, we risk dragging out the pandemic for several more years,” said Lavanya Vasudevan, an assistant professor at Duke University’s Global Health Institute. “Every day that the virus is in circulation is an opportunity for it to mutate into a more deadly variant.”
Also read: COVAX reaches over 100 economies, 42 days after first international delivery
Earlier this month, the WHO appealed to rich countries to urgently share 10 million doses to meet the U.N. target of starting COVID-19 vaccinations in every country within the first 100 days of the year. So far, countries have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to COVAX. But there are simply no doses to buy, and no country has agreed to immediately share what it has.
Bilateral donations of doses tend to go along political lines, rather than to countries with the most infections, and they aren’t nearly enough to compensate for the goals that COVAX has set out. Think Global Health, a data site managed by the Council on Foreign Relations, identified 19 countries that have donated a total of 27.5 million doses to 102 nations as of Thursday.
“You can make a strong argument that we’re better off making donations in crisis and getting the pandemic under control than vaccinating low-risk groups at home,” said Thomas Bollyky, director of the Global Health Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. Bollyky said COVAX was both a great disappointment and the only available option for most the world.
According to the International Rescue Committee, COVID-19 cases and deaths last month surged in numerous crisis-hit countries: by 322% in Kenya, 379% in Yemen and 529% in northeast Syria.
On Thursday, the agencies behind COVAX — WHO, vaccines alliance GAVI and CEPI, a coalition for epidemic preparedness — celebrated their delivery of 38 million lifesaving vaccines to more than 100 countries.
Brook Baker, a vaccines expert at Northeastern University, said the laudatory message was misplaced.
Also read: Countries worldwide hit new records for virus cases, deaths
“Celebrating doses sufficient for only 19 million people, or 0.25% of global population, is tone deaf,” he said, adding it was time for WHO and partners to be more honest with countries.
“WHO and GAVI have repeatedly overpromised and underdelivered, so why should we believe that they will suddenly be able to ramp up production and deliveries in a couple of months?” he said.
Outside the vaccination tents in Nairobi on Thursday, Dr. Duncan Nyukuri, an infectious disease physician, tried to reassure people getting their first dose.
“If you receive the first dose and you fail to receive the second dose, this does not mean that your body will be any weaker or you will be at an increased risk of getting any infection,” he said. “What it means is your body will have developed some immunity against the coronavirus infection. But this immunity is not as good as somebody who has received both doses.”
Bangladesh again breaks daily Covid death record with 77
Bangladesh recorded 77 more deaths during the last 24 hours till Saturday morning, the highest one-day total since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country.
The new death figure exceeded Thursday’s 74 as the pandemic keeps wreaking havoc across Bangladesh with new variants – “one from the UK and another from South Africa.”
The number of new Coronavirus cases dropped slightly to 5,343 after registering over 7,000 cases for the fifth day in the last six days until Friday, said a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Bangladesh on Friday recorded 7,462 news cases which was 6,854 on Thursday. On April 4, the country recorded 7,087 Covid cases and 7,075 the next day. On April 6, the number was 7,213 and 7,626 the next day.
The infection rate slipped to 20.49 percent during this period from 23.57 percent of Friday’s.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 7000+ cases for fifth day
With the new 77 deaths, the Covid-19 fatalities rose to 9,661 while the mortality rate remained static at 1.42 percent for two consecutive days.
During the reporting period, 3,837 patients recovered, raising the number of recoveries to 572,378, the DGHS said.
Meanwhile, the government enforced a 7-day lockdown from April 5 to bring the situation under control keeping garment factories and offices open on condition of maintaining health protocols. Later, it allowed public transports movement in city corporation areas and reopened shops and shopping malls within a few days.
Ekushey Book Fair to end on April 12
Amar Ekushey Boil Mela (Book Fair) will conclude on April 12, just two days before its closure schedule, due to the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid made the announcement through a press release on Saturday.
The decision of closure comes at a time when the government is going to enforce a week-long strict lockdown across the country starting from April 14, aimed at curbing the Covid-19 transmission.
Also read: Nat’l committee for stopping Ekushey Book Fair as Covid cases surge
Talking to UNB, Dr Jalal Ahmed, director of Bangla Academy and member secretary of Ekushey Book Fair Committee, said, "The book fair will end on April 12 ahead of countrywide week long strict lockdown from April 14,"
The book fair that started on March 18 amid the resurgence of Covid-19 and was scheduled to end on April 14, failed to get its usual momentum with publishers and sellers fearing to incur huge losses in their businesses.
Also read: Ekushey Book Fair to remain open from 12 to 5pm amid lockdown
Although the government enforced a weeklong lockdown from April 4 it allowed the Bangla Academy to go ahead with the fair.
This year, 834 units were allocated to 540 publishing houses and organizations to facilitate sale of books and other publications.
Also read: Boi Mela to be open for 3.5 hours a day due to COVID-19v
The authorities allotted 154 units on the Bangla Academy premises to 107 organizations and 680 units in the Suhrawardy Udyan to 433 organizations.
Considering the Covid-19 social-distancing requirements, the land earmarked for this year's fair was expanded to 1,500,000 square feet.
Akram Khan tests positive for Covid-19
Former Bangladesh captain and current director of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Akram Khan has tested positive for Covid-19. He is currently in home isolation.
Sources close to Akram’s family told UNB that the former skipper was suffering from Covid-19 symptoms for the past few days and hence got himself tested.
Akram also told a local media outlet that he decided to undergo the Covid-19 test after experiencing symptoms of coronavirus.
Also read: Mashrafe infected with coronavirus
“I have been suffering from cold and throat pain for the past few days, and hence got myself tested. Currently, I’m in home isolation. Other members of my family will undergo the Covid-19 test on Saturday," he said.
Due to an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, BCB has put on hold the remaining matches of the National Cricket League (NCL).
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 7000+ cases for fifth day
Although the government enforced a 7-day lockdown from Monday, people have been moving around freely, posing risks of more transmission. The government has hinted at imposing a complete lockdown from April 14.
Senior journalist Hassan Shahriar passes away
Hassan Shahriar, a veteran journalist and former Jatiya Press Club (JPC) president, passed away at a city hospital on Saturday. He was 76.
Shahriar, also a two-term international president of Commonwealth Journalists' Association (CJA), breathed his last at Impulse Hospital around 11:45am while undergoing treatment there, JPC joint secretary Mainul Alam told UNB.
He said the senior journalist was admitted to the hospital around 1:30 am on Friday with various symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, cough and breathing problem.
Mainual said Shahriar underwent Covid-19 test a week back but the result came out negative. “Later, he was admitted to the hospital with 80% damaged lungs and serious breathing problems.”
His first namaj-e-janaza was held on the Jatiya Press Club premises after Asr prayers, which was participated by his former colleagues, editors, many senior and junior journalists, friends, family members and well-wishers.
After the janaza, leaders of the JPC, CJA, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) and some other organisations, and media outlets paid homage to the journalists by placing wreaths on his coffin.
Also read: Journalist Kayum Khan Milon passes away
On behalf of the Indian High Commission, its press officer Shantanu Mukherjee paid tributes to Hassan Shahriar by laying a wreath on his coffin.
His second janaza was held in front of his residential apartment at the city’s Topkhana Road after Magrib prayers.
Later, he was buried at the Rayer Bazar Graveyard in the capital.
Born on 25 April, 1946 in Sunamganj, Shahriar joined the Daily Ittefaq in the 60s and later worked for a number of international media outlets.
He retired from the Daily Ittefaq as its Executive Editor in 2008 after serving the newspaper for a long time in different capacities.
Shahriar, a confirmed bachelor, was the first editor of the Daily Sun and Chief Editor of Chittagong-based Daily People's View.
Shahriar also worked as Bangladesh correspondent of international news magazine Newsweek, Khaleej Times, India's Daily Deccan Herald, The Indian Express and The Asian Age, Pakistan's Morning News, Dawn and Evening Star.
Also read: Journalist AZM Anas passes away
He was the first journalist from Asia-Pacific to be elected as President of the Toronto-based Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) in 2003. He was also the International President Emeritus of the CJA in 2012.
Journalist Shahriar was awarded the prestigious Harry Brittan Fellowship by the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) in 1978.
He was elected President of the Jatiya Press Club management committee for the 1993-94 tenure. Shahriar was also the incumbent president of Media Club Limited.
Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of Shahriar.
In a condolence message, he recalled the contributions of Shahriar to the field of journalism.
The President prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also expressed deep shock and sorrow at his death.
In a condolence message, Sheikh Hasina said the role of Hassan Shahriar in Bangladesh’s journalism will ever be remembered.
Also read: Journalist Shaheen Reza Noor passes away
She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and many other ministers and politicians also condoled the death of Shahriar.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also mourned the death of the noted journalist.
JPC President Farida Yasmin and General Secretary Ilias Khan also expressed deep shock at the death of Shahriar.
In a joint condolence message, they said, “The death of noted journalist Hasan Shahriar has caused an irreparable loss to the journalism profession. He was a guardian in Bangladesh's journalist community.”
The JPC leaders also expressed deep sympathy for the bereaved family members.
Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) also mourned the death of the veteran journalist.
In a condolence message, DCAB President Pantho Rahaman and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members and sought eternal peace for the departed soul of the veteran journalist.
DoE's top bureaucrat dies of Covid-19
The Director-General of the Department of Environment (DoE), Dr AKM Rafique Ahammed, died at a hospital in Dhaka early on Saturday morning, days after contracting Covid-19.
Dr Rafique passed away at Central Police Hospital around 4.14 am, said Dipankar Bar, Senior Information Officer of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
The top environment officer was undergoing treatment at the hospital since March 23 and put on life support after his condition worsened on Friday.
A BCS (administration) cadre of 10th batch who joined government service in 1991, Dr Rafique is survived by his wife and two sons.
Before joining DoE on May 22, 2019, Rafique served as a commercial counsellor at the Consulate of Bangladesh in Dubai.
Also read: Covid-19: Hasina for balancing livelihoods and public health
Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin, deputy minister Habibun Nahar, secretary Ziaul Hasan, and employees of the ministry have expressed deep shock at the demise of Dr Rafique.
Covid-19 situation
Bangladesh on Friday recorded more than 7,000 coronavirus cases for the fifth time in six days.
The country has registered 7,462 new cases and 63 Covid-related deaths in 24 hours, the Directorate General of Health Services said on Friday. A day before, the country recorded 74 deaths, its highest.
Bangladesh has so far recorded 673,594 coronavirus cases, according to DGHS.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 7000+ cases for fifth day
Although the government enforced a 7-day lockdown from Monday, people have been moving around freely, posing risks of more transmission. The government has hinted at imposing a complete lockdown from April 14.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death 10 days later.
Vaccination drive
The government launched a countrywide vaccination campaign on February 7, with doses received from the Serum Institute of India.
Bangladesh on April 8 began its second phase of inoculating people amid uncertainty over the availability of vaccines.