New highest for coronavirus deaths in Bangladesh

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - The novel coronavirus has claimed 28 more lives, including a police officer, in Bangladesh in the last 24 hours, marking highest single-day spike up to date, according to the latest official data.

With the latest casualties, the death toll on Sunday rose to 480 while 1,532 more people have been reported positive for the coronavirus, the Directorate General of Health Services said in its latest online briefing.

The report added that a total of 33,610 people have been infected with the virus and 6,901 people have recovered from the disease so far.

Bangladesh has been under a countrywide lockdown since March 26 to stem the spread of the virus. But it has been partly eased since May 10 due to Eid al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The South Asian Muslim majority country is going to celebrate the Eid on Monday with thousands of people en masse still moving to villages from urban areas, including the capital Dhaka, to share the festival with relatives, posing high risks of spreading the fatal virus in remote areas.

According to available media reports, tens of thousands of people have been leaving Dhaka through different means violating social distancing and health guidelines.

Experts and medical doctors have repeatedly warned that situation may go out of control immediately after the Eid.

However, the ruling Awami League Party General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday urged the public to strictly follow social distancing during the Eid festival.

The first coronavirus case in Bangladesh was recorded on March 8 while first death was reported on March 18.

- Another police dies of COVID-19

One more police officer has lost his life to coronavirus in Bangladesh at Central Police Hospital in the capital Dhaka Sunday morning, pushing the total fatalities among police to 13, the highest death in any particular force.

The deceased was identified as Razu Ahmed, an inspector of counter-terrorism and transnational crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Sohel Rana, assistant inspector general of police headquarters confirmed to local media.

Till the date COVID-19 has been transmitted to nearly 3,600 police personnel while 782 of them have recovered from the disease and joined to duties.

Meanwhile, a total of 10 members of armed forces have died of coronavirus in Bangladesh until Saturday, according to a report by the mouthpiece of the army.

As many as 1,364 members of the forces both in-service and retired and their family members have also been infected with COVID-19, the report added.