Dhaka, April 13 – The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) has demanded the government provide interest-free working capital of Tk 15 bn to cover their losses due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
Author: editor
WIMN calls for new social compact in Covid-19 crisis
‘An inclusive, intersectional feminist approach is the only way out of the COVID crisis’ As the world roils with the human and economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, one thing is clear: this is no time for business as…
Manila red-tagging CSOs, to silence dissent deflect weakness
April 12, 2020 – The Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines (CEC) condemns the recent statement of Southern Luzon Command chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., touting the organization along with other civil society organizations (CSOs) as “unwittingly exploited by…
Rooppur NPP construction sees further progress
Despite corona threat construction works at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant continues. As the 7th of April out of 12 prestressed mounting blocks, under the third phase of inner containment construction of reactor building at unit-1 has been installed. Construction of…
Rajshahi University declared closed sine die
Rajshahi, April 12 – The Rajshahi University authority has decided to close the university sine die due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was taken in an emergency syndicate meeting on Sunday with the university vice-chancellor Professor M Abdus Sobhan…
Let’s support, celebrate our doctors, nurses
Mostafa Kamal Majumder A number of doctors have been reported coronavirus positive in the last few days. Needless to say, they contracted the virus after unsuspectingly seeking Covid-19 patients in Dhaka and several other districts. Like doctors paramedic nurses come…
Bangladesh’s Thakurgaon reports 3 coronavirus cases
Thakurgaon, April 12 – Three men, who recently returned to Thakurgaon from Narayanganj, have tested positive for coronavirus.
PM Hasina unveils fresh stimulus of Tk 50 bn for agriculture
Dhaka, April 12 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday announced a new stimulus package of Tk 50 billion to provide financial assistance to small and medium farmers in rural areas for boosting agricultural production facing the fallout of Covid-19.
Over 22,000 healthcare workers infected by COVID-19: WHO
Geneva, Xinhua/UNB, April 12 – The COVID-19 pandemic has hit over 22,000 healthcare workers across 52 countries and regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Saturday.
Innocent BD nurses want to be armed in the coronavirus battle
Dhaka, April 12 – Bangladesh’s nurses are worried as most hospitals are not in a position to provide them with the personal protective equipment (PPE) they require to look after patients of a highly contagious disease such as COVID-19.
Pope Francis urges people not to ‘yield to fear’ of covid-19
Pope Francis has urged people not to “yield to fear” over coronavirus, calling on them to be “messengers of life in a time of death”. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church was speaking at his Easter vigil service on…
British PM Boris Johnson ‘owes his life to NH Service staff’
Boris Johnson has said he owes his life to the NHS staff treating him for coronavirus. The prime minister, 55, thanked medics at St Thomas’ hospital in London, where he continues to recover after spending three nights in intensive care.
Abdul Majed executed at Dhaka Central Jail, Keraniganj
Dhaka, April 12 – Abdul Majed, convicted killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was hanged after midnight following Saturday at the Dhaka Central Jail at Keraniganj on the outskirts of the capital.
Coronavirus: A timely lesson for mankind
Sir Frank Peters On September 1, 1939, World War II began. It was the deadliest conflict in human history, involving more than 50 countries and killing more than 65-million people – man, woman and child. Many countries including Switzerland, Ireland…
Soapy water of icddr,b to meet hand washing need of the poor
Soapy water, a cheaper alternative to bar soap, evolved by the ICDDR, B (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh) has become very relevant at this hour of the global war against coronavirus that involves frequent hand washing by all…
Great apes on lockdown over Coronavirus threat
Great apes have been put on lockdown against the threat of coronavirus. Gorilla tourism in Africa has been suspended, while sanctuaries for other apes, such as orangutans, have closed to the public.
Dhaka Medical burn unit to be used for Covid-19 patients
Dhaka, April 11 – Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) has decided to use its burn and plastic surgery unit for isolating Covid-19 suspects as well as lab for coronavirus test.
Bangladeshis employed in ME not to lose jobs for late return
Dhaka, April 11 – Bangladeshi nationals, employed in Middle Eastern (ME) countries and now on vacation at home, will not lose their jobs for late joining to their respective job stations under the current situation, says the government.
Death toll from COVID-19 passes 100,000 worldwide
New York, Xinhua/UNB, April 11 – The death toll from COVID-19 exceeded 100,000 worldwide on Friday afternoon, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
Can India’s print newspapers survive the Covid-19 pandemic
by Nava Thakuria As an unprecedented lockdown continues in India, the newspaper groups face an uphill task to maintain their readership. The complete shutdown, to continue till 14 April, instantly stopped the vendors from delivering morning newspapers to reader’s doorsteps…
Alive Amidst the Mayhem of Covid-19 – A Sex Worker’s Story
By Fairuz Ahmed NEW YORK, Apr 9 2020 (IPS) – For a Bangladeshi woman, who has been a sex worker since childhood, her post-COVID-19 future looks hopeless. Shilpy, who works at Daulatdia, the largest brothel in the country, told IPS…
Global Coronavirus death toll reaches 95,722
The global death toll from coronavirus has reached 95,722 as of Friday morning. There have been 1,603,719 confirmed cases around the world after the highly contagious disease was first reported in China in December last, according to worldometer.
Village under lockdown as Comilla man tests virus-positive
Comilla, April 10 – The local administration put Biramkadi village in Titas Upazila under lockdown as a resident of the village tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.
PM calls for enhancing global cooperation to fight covid-19
Dhaka, April 10 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for bolstering international cooperation to fight the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Madrasha teacher suffering from flu-fever dies in Laxmipur
Laxmipur, April 10 – A madrasah teacher died after showing flu-like symptoms at Sadar hospital here on Thursday afternoon. The deceased aged about 61 was an assistant teacher of Sufia Darul Aman Islamia Dakhil Madrasha and a resident of Charjangalia…
Our workers would die of starvation if not from coronavirus
“If our workers don’t die from coronavirus, they’d die of starvation.” This is the stark assessment of how the pandemic is impacting the clothing industry from garment factory owner, Vijay Mahtaney, the chairman of Ambattur Fashion India.
Boris Johnson out of intensive care but remains in hospital
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved out of intensive care but remains in hospital, Downing Street has said. Mr Johnson has been receiving treatment for coronavirus at St Thomas’ Hospital in London since Sunday. No 10 said he…
ত্রাণ ও ছবি তোলা
প্রিয়মহোদয়, আস্সালামু-আলাইকুম। প্রথম আলো পত্রিকার আজ (০৯/০৪/২০২০) প্রকাশিত সংখ্যায় ঢাকা বিশ^বিদ্যালয়ের মোঃ জাফর আলী লেখেছেন, কতিপয় লোক দরিদ্রদেরকে ত্রাণ বিতরণ করেছে এবং সেসব সৎকর্মের ছবি ফেসবুকসহ বিভিন্ন মাধ্যমে প্রকাশ করেছে। টেলিভিশনে ও আজকাল এ ধরনের ছবি/ভিডিও চিত্র প্রকাশিত হয়। কিছু…
Africa Needs Debt Relief to Fight COVID-19
by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Brahima Coulibaly WASHINGTON, DC – After a slow start, COVID-19 has spread increasingly rapidly throughout Africa, with more than 7,000 confirmed cases and 294 deaths across 45 countries and two territories as of April 7. Unless the…
Covid-19 crisis makes clear a new concept of ‘worker’ is overdue
by Nicola Countouris, Valerio De Stefano, Keith Ewing and Mark Freedland on 9th April 2020 @valeriodeste The crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of those outside conventional employment. A broader concept of ‘worker’ is needed to protect them equally. The Covid-19…