4 cr at risk of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh

This was disclosed at a roundtable titled, 'Young Generation in Prevention of HIV/AIDS', held at the BMA auditorium here on Monday.

Jointly organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Save the children, USA, the roundtable was presided over by Jessore Civil Surgeon Abul Bashar Mohammad Khashru while Jessore Pourasabha Chairman SM Kamruzzaman Chunnu was present as chief guest.

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Held under the supervision of Padakkhep Consortium, the round table was told that 465 people were attacked with HIV in Bangladesh last year although the actual figure is over 700.

Speakers further disclosed told that 70 per cent of 18 lakh bus, truck, launch and rickshaw van workers are clients of sex workers. But most of them do not use condoms, they said.

Speakers feared that Bangladesh is very much at risk of HIV/AIDS because many Indian truck drivers pass nights at Benapole Land Port. The number of AIDS victims in India is very high, they informed.

Among others, ADC (General) Omar Faruk, Jessore Press Club President Fakir Shankar and Islamic Foundation Deputy Director Abdur Razzaque Mollah attended the roundtable.