Hasina Opens Her Address to Nation to Outline Coronavirus Battle

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has begun addressing the nation a day before the Independence Day amid rampant fears of the coronavirus outbreak.

The speech is being broadcast on state-run media from 7:30 pm on Wednesday.

As the world goes on lockdown to combat the pandemic, in her speech Hasina discusses steps to control the epidemic and its effects on the economy.

“We cannot take any impulsive decision now. We have to take comprehensive preparations and plan when to do what,” Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Mar 23, when he was asked whether Hasina could announce a lockdown in her speech.

On Wednesday, the global death toll from the coronavirus hit 18,918 with the number of infections rising to 423,121, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Bangladesh confirmed another death due to the infection on Wednesday, taking the number of fatalities to five but no cases of infection were reported in the last 24 hours.

In a heavily populated nation like Bangladesh, there is uneasiness about the threats of accelerated dissemination. First came the closure of all community institutions, and a prohibition on public assemblies. The government instead ordered all offices suspended with a general 10-day holiday from Mar 26. Since Tuesday local trains, releases for tourists and domestic flights have been halted.