The distribution companies have mistakenly inflated bills for about 5 lakh customers while preparing an average monthly charge as officials could not go from door to door amid the coronavirus pandemic, said state minister for power Nasrul Hamid yesterday.

With the country witnessing a continuous surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths, a shortage of testing kits appears to be a major setback for efforts to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the country’s independence is an achievement that came through the sacrifices and endurance of Awami League.

Private hajj agencies and Biman are set to incur a huge financial loss as the Saudi government has decided not to allow anyone from abroad to perform hajj this year amid fears over coronavirus pandemic.

Criticising BNP MP Harunur Rashid for his claim that his party is the main opposition, Jatiya Party lawmaker Mashiur Rahman Ranga yesterday requested the Deputy Speaker to give a ruling in parliament clarifying who is the opposition.

In the absence of people dedicated to prevent and control infections at hospitals, healthcare-associated infections are rising across the country, affecting the general populace and healthcare professionals alike.

Bangladesh reported 43 Covid-19 deaths, 38 males and five females, in the past 24 hours till 2:30pm yesterday, raising the death toll to 1,545 in the country.

The country may face an acceleration in the already growing number of Covid-19 cases if the government fails to ensure the maintenance of health guidelines in cattle markets across the country ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, public health experts warned.

For 50-year-old Md Mostafa and his wife, last weekend was nothing short of a nightmare. He shuttled from one hospital to another in the capital with his ailing wife Sathi Khanam, a kidney patient, only to be turned away.

A Chinese medical expert team pointed out that the general public and to some extent the health officials here lack awareness about social distancing and hygiene practices necessary to combat the spread of coronavirus.

The lack of global leadership and unity to fight the coronavirus is a bigger threat than the outbreak itself, the head of the World Health Organisation said yesterday, adding that politicisation of the pandemic had made things worse.

Two public hospitals in the capital, including one dedicated to dealing with Covid-19, started getting central oxygen supply yesterday, giving much relief to coronavirus patients, who usually require more oxygen.

While Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University Vice-Chancellor Prof Kanak Kanti Barua verbally spurned the Rapid Dot-Blot test developed by Gonoshasthaya Kendra last Wednesday, calling it “ineffective in detecting Covid-19”, the full report justifies and recommends its use as an antibody test.

As the number of Covid-19 deaths crossed the 1,500 mark yesterday, experts said transmission may not decrease anytime soon unless it is actively controlled.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque yesterday said the government would take steps to appoint 2,000 more physicians to contain the situation if the number of Covid-19 patients continued to soar.

Over three weeks ago, the government had planned to enforce containment zones in the capital and three other major cities amid a spike in Covid-19 infections and deaths that came after the nationwide shutdown was lifted.

The rate of Covid-19 infections has slightly decreased, as the authorities reported 3,531 confirmed cases in the 24 hours till 2:30pm yesterday.

Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) has accused the health ministry of reluctance to ensuring safety and security of doctors at workplace during coronavirus pandemic.

With the public hospitals grappling with a rising number of Covid-19 patients, different professional bodies have moved to ensure that their members get preferential treatment at private hospitals, limiting people’s access to healthcare.

In the wake of the arrests of two university teachers and two students, prominent voices against the Digital Security Act (DSA) decried the law as a curb on free speech.