nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  IFAD states, “Bangladesh is one of the world's most vulnerable countries affected by climate change. During the monsoon period, the Haor region of Bangladesh becomes completely inundated with 4 8 meters of water for around 6 7 months of the year. Flash floods are common, and in some years 80 90% of crops are lost because of extreme weather events………This severely affects food output in the Haor, which provides up to 16% of national rice production.'
[ 29th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  So far, 3,627,413 tests, including 12,075 new ones, have been carried out. The overall infection rate stood at 14.73%, the Directorate General of Health Services said.
[ 14th January 2021, Nayapara ]  UNHCR's Head of Operations Marin Din Kajdomcaj said, “We have been on the ground since very early in the morning. We are working with our Government and NGO partners, other UN agencies, and Rohingya refugees to help people who have lost their homes and possessions during last night's terrible fire in the refugee camp at Nayapara. “
[ 29th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  So far, 3,615,338 samples have been tested, including 14,633 in the past 24 hours. Bangladesh reported its first Covid cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18 last year.
[ 29th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The Covid 19 infection rate in the country now stands at 3.43 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  said in a handout. “The mortality rate is now 1.51 percent,' the DGHS said.
[ 29th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Meanwhile, the new cases pushed up the national tally to 533,953 while the current overall detection rate is 14.77 percent. Until this morning, 478,546 patients  ( 89.62 percent of the total reported cases )  have recovered.
[ 29th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The government has again extended the closure of educational institutions, except the Qawmi madrasas, until February 14 as there has been no significant improvement in the coronavirus situation in the country. Education Minister Dipu Moni confirmed it in an official media release on Friday after consultation with others. Earlier on January 15, the closure of all educational institutions was extend.
[ 28th Jan, 2021 Bangladesh ]  So far, 3,615,338 samples have been tested, including 14,633 in the past 24 hours. Bangladesh reported its first Coronavirus cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18 last year.
[ 28th Jan, 2021 Bangladesh ]  Meanwhile, the new cases pushed up the national tally to 533,953 while the current overall detection rate is 14.77 percent. Until this morning, 478,546 patients  ( 89.62 percent of the total reported cases )  have recovered.
[ 19th February 2021, Bangladesh ]  Of the eight deaths reported on Friday   six men and two women   four were from Dhaka, three from Chittagong, and one from Barisal. All of them died at different hospitals.
[ 15th February 2021, Bangladesh ]  Physicians and nurses have been trained to carry out the vaccination drive. So far, top government officials, cabinet members, judges, police, along with general people, have received the vaccine. After the first dose, the second one has to be taken within 8 to 12 weeks. The DGHS expects around 8m vaccines to arrive by the first week of March.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  So far, 3,639,497 samples have been tested, including 12,084 in the past 24 hours. Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18 last year
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Apart from this, Bangladesh also signed a contract with the World Health Organisation's Covax facility to receive millions of doses.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  So far, 3,639,497 samples have been tested, including 12,084 in the past 24 hours. Bangladesh reported its first Coronavirus cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18 last year.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  As per the contract with the Serum Institute of India that is producing the Oxford AstraZeneca's Covid 19 vaccine, Bangladesh will get enough doses to inoculate 15 million people, which is 9.25 per cent of the population.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Health Minister Zahid Maleque said at the launch that “70 lakh doses of Covid 19 vaccines are now available in the country. The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is the safest one in the world".
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The government is planning to commence a large scale vaccine rollout programme shortly, and an end to end efficient supply chain can make the rollout a successful on
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Biman Bangladesh Airlines is going to resume commercial flights to Nepal from February 18, after a 10 month suspension due to Covid 19 pandemic.
[ 29th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh recorded a daily infection rate of 3.76% with 454 new cases reported until early Friday
[ 23rd February 2021, Bangladesh ]  The DGHS said 692 people have recovered from Covid 19 over the last 24 hours. So far, 492,059 patients   90.50% of all infected   have made full recoveries across the country.
[ 30th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Health Minister Zahid Maleque said at the launch that “70 lakh doses of Covid 19 vaccines are now available in the country. The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is the safest one in the world".
[ 30th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  So far, 3,639,497 samples have been tested, including 12,084 in the past 24 hours. Bangladesh reported its first Coronavirus cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18 last year.
[ 30th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Meanwhile, the new cases pushed up the national tally to 534,770 while the current overall detection rate is 14.69 percent. Until this morning, 479,297 patients  ( 89.63 percent of the total reported cases )  have recovered.
[ 30th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  With the fresh ones, the total number of deaths from the deadly virus in the country reached 8,111 while the mortality rate stands at 1.52 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  said in a handout.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  With the fresh ones, the total number of deaths from the deadly virus in the country reached 8,111 while the mortality rate stands at 1.52 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  said in a handout.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Meanwhile, the new cases pushed up the national tally to 534,770 while the current overall detection rate is 14.69 percent. Until this morning, 479,297 patients  ( 89.63 percent of the total reported cases )  have recovered.
[ 31st January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The country recorded 16 fresh deaths from Covid 19, bringing the overall death toll to 8,127. A total of 369 people tested positive for the infectious disease during the 24 hour time frame, taking the total number of cases in Bangladesh to 535,139. The overall test positivity rate now stands at 14.65%.
[ 29th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh has registered seven more deaths from Covid 19 in the 24 hours till 8am on Friday, taking the total number of fatalities to 8,094. The latest single day death toll is the lowest since May 9, 2020, when the health authorities recorded eight deaths. Bangladesh recorded eight Covid 19 deaths on January 20, 2021, too.
[ 10th March 2021, Bangladesh ]  Besides, it said, 1,229 people recovered from the virus infections during the period. So far, 505,349 patients  ( 91.46 percent )  have recovered.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Health authorities in 36 districts have already received their allotted doses of the Covid 19 vaccine, said Dr Khurshid. “We have taken all necessary measures to efficiently start inoculating people nationwide.' He said the people will soon be able to receive vaccines at 613 centres across Bangladesh, and 49 of the centres have already been prepared in Dhaka.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  As many as 6,990 vaccination teams will be deployed across the country, but the numbers might change in the future depending on the situation, the DGHS director general added. Regarding the second shipment of vaccines from India, Dr Khurshid said it would reach Bangladesh in February but the exact date is yet to be confirmed.
[ 29th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The DGHS said 414 people recovered from the infectious disease over the preceding 24 hours. So far, 478,960 patients   89.62%   have recovered from Covid 19.
[ 31st January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Of the 16 deceased   14 men and two women   11 were from Dhaka Division and one each from Barisal, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Rangpur divisions. All 16 died at different hospitals across the country.
[ 28th January 2021, Cox's Bazar ]  Cox's Bazar Civil Surgeon Dr Mahbubur Rahman said: “It is being investigated if anyone started the fire.' “Hundreds of patients from the five storey hospital were evacuated immediately after the fire broke out. All of them are being treated at the hospital,' he added.The fire destroyed extensive equipment of the emergency department of the hospital. In addition, the hospital's blood bank, ECG room and oxygen supply lines were severely damaged. Md Abdullah, deputy assistant director of Cox's Bazar fire service, said after receiving the news, two units of Cox's Bazar fire service along with two water carrying vehicles and another unit from Ramu came and put out the fire.
[ 29th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  As many as 12,075 samples, including some pending ones, were tested at the 204 authorized labs   government and private   across the country.
[ 29th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  A total of 454 people tested positive for Covid 19 during the time frame, taking the total number of cases in the country to 534,407. The overall test positivity rate now stands at 14.73%.
[ 29th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Besides, the daily test positivity rate for Covid 19 remained below the 4% mark for the fourth consecutive day. The latest figures showed an infection rate of 3.76% in the 24 hour period, according to a Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  press release.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Vaccine registration website www.surokkha.gov.bd was opened to the public following the inauguration of the Covid 19 vaccination campaign. However, the Surokkha app is yet to appear on Google Play. Officials concerned said the app will be available on the Android store after it passes the review stage, which could happen any time within the next four days. The app has also been made for iOS devices, but authorities are awaiting feedback on the Google Play version before submitting it to the Apple App Store.
[ 29th January 2021, Chittagong ]  With a mortality rate of 1.12%, the death toll from the virus in Chittagong stands at 369 as of Thursday. Over 30,500 people have recovered. Of them, 4,173 people recovered while undergoing treatment at different hospitals while 26,461 people have recovered at their homes.
[ 29th January 2021, Chittagong ]  Chittagong has logged nearly 33,000 cases of Covid 19 since the pandemic unfolded in Bangladesh in March last year. Of them, over 25,000 infections were reported in the city while 7,000 from different upazilas.
[ 29th January 2021, Chittagong ]  Authorities in the port city of Chittagong say they are fully prepared for the Covid 19 vaccination rollout starting from February 7. “The vaccines are likely to arrive on January 31,' Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Fazle Rabbi told Dhaka Tribune on Friday. The northeastern district is set to receive a total of 38 boxes, each containing 1200 vials, of vaccines in the first consignment, according to him.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  File photo of Nine freezer vans leaving Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, transporting the first consignment of five million doses of Oxford AstraZeneca Covid 19 vaccine to a Beximco Pharma warehouse in Tongi, on Monday, January 25, 2020Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh recorded 363 new Covid 19 cases in the 24 hours till Saturday morning, which is the lowest in nine months. The last time Bangladesh recorded a fewer number of new cases was April 25, when 309 people tested positive for Covid 19.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  Vaccine doses will reach all the 64 districts of the country by Monday as the mass vaccination drive is scheduled to start on February 7, said Director General  ( DG )  of Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  Dr Khurshed Alam.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The 17 new deaths from Covid 19 include 10 men and seven women. Seven were from Dhaka division, five from Chittagong, two from Sylhet, and one each from Rajshahi, Khulna, and Barisal divisions. All the victims died at hospitals.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The DGHS said 337 people recovered from the disease over the preceding 24 hours. So far, 479,297 patients   89.63% of all infected   have made full recoveries across the country.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  With the new infections, the total number of cases has risen to 534,770, according to the daily virus update released by the Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  on Saturday afternoon. The country also registered 17 more deaths from Covid 19 in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of total fatalities to 8,111.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  So far, 6,143 men  ( 75.74% )  and 1,968 women  ( 24.26% )  have died from Covid 19 across the country. The mortality rate against the total number of cases detected in the country stands at 1.52%.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The daily test positivity rate stood at 3%, the lowest since 4.9% on April 5. The test positivity rate in the country has been in single digits since December 19. To date, 3,639,497 tests have been conducted in the country, leading to an overall infection rate of 14.69%.
[ 31st January 2021, Bangladesh ]  A total of 452,027 doctors, nurses and other health workers at government facilities will get the vaccine first. Around 600,000 health workers of the private facilities will also get the vaccine in the first phase.
[ 31st January 2021, Bangladesh ]  People who are eligible and willing to be vaccinated in the first phase must enrol themselves into the vaccination program by completing registration by February 5. Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus revealed the matter on Sunday. The country is set to start a nationwide vaccination campaign on February 7.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The nationwide vaccination program is set to officially begin in all districts and upazilas on February 7, and a trial run of the vaccine program with 567 recipients is currently ongoing in Dhaka. No one in the trial run has reported any adverse effects yet.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  At the International Mother Language Institute ceremony, Education Minister Dipu Moni received the results from the chiefs of the 11 education boards. “A total of 161,807 students have achieved GPA 5, and all of 1,367,377 examinees have passed in the examinations, ' the minister told a press conference there afterwards. Education Minister Dipu Moni receives the results of last's years HSC and equivalent exams from the chairmen of the education boards at a ceremony at the Intl Mother Language Institute in DhakaDhaka TribuneEarlier, the education minister had announced that as the examinations could not be held, students will be awarded their GPA  ( grade point average )  after cumulating 75% of their SSC and 25% of their JSC or JDC results.
[ 31st January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Earlier on March 16, last year, DU authorities decided to suspend all of its classes and examinations from March 18 till March 28, which later was extended several times in line with the decision of the Education Ministry aiming to curb the spread of Covid 19 in the country.As a result of this, final year students of the university suffered the most as they could not graduate in time thus failing to secure a job.
[ 31st January 2021, Bangladesh ]  DU however continued online classes to keep the students engaged with academic activities but almost half of them could not take part in this effort due to bad internet and lack of necessary electronic devices.
[ 14th February 2021, Bangladesh ]  The country also recorded 13 new deaths from Covid 19 in the 24 hour period, bringing the overall death toll to 8,266.
[ 27th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the country's vaccination campaign against Covid 19 from Dhaka's Kurmitola General Hospital. The prime minister inaugurated the campaign virtually from Gono Bhaban at 4:05pm on Wednesday. Health Minister Zahid Maleque arrived at the venue at 03:20pm. The selected recipients are Senior Staff Nurse Renu Veronica Costa, Dr Ahmed Lutfur Moben, Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, Md Didarul Islam, and Brig Gen M Imran Hamid.
[ 26th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  In a continuation of the trial run, a further 690 people will be vaccinated at the five government hospitals in Dhaka on Thursday. The condition of all the initial recipients of the vaccine will be monitored for seven days, before the nationwide vaccination campaign begins on February 7, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said. DGHS sources said lists with names of all the recipients of the vaccine in the trial run had already been prepared.
[ 10th March 2021, Bangladesh ]  DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam has tested positive for Covid 19, said additional deputy commissioner of police  ( media & PR division )  of DMP.
[ 15th March 2021, Bangladesh ]  The deadly virus claimed 26 more lives and infected 1,773 more in the last 24 hours till Monday morning.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The health authorities in Bangladesh confirmed 17 more new coronavirus related deaths and 363 new cases in the last 24 hours till 8am on Saturday.
[ 26th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  President Abdul Hamid has given his assent to three bills adopted in the eleventh session and first session in 2021 of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad  ( JS ) . According to an official handout issued on Tuesday, the president gave the assent to those three bills on Monday, reports BSS. The bills are – Intermediate and Secondary Education  ( Amendment )  Bill, 2021, Bangladesh Vocational Education Board  ( Amendment )  Bill, 2021, and Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board  ( Amendment )  Bill, 2021, the handout said. The three amendment bills were passed in parliament on Sunday, paving the path for publishing the results of the Higher Secondary Certificate  ( HSC )  and equivalent examinations by January 28 without holding the tests.
[ 26th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The nationwide vaccination program was scheduled to start after a dry run on 400 500 people in Dhaka and a week of observation. The government has worked out the plan for national vaccination against Covid 19 with a target to give two doses of jabs to each of over 130 million people to eliminate the prevalence of the deadly virus. As per the plan, a total of 138,247,000 people will be vaccinated in five stages.
[ 27th Feb, 2021 Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh recorded 407 more Covid 19 infections until early Saturday, meaning 545,831 people have now tested positive for the virus in the country since the start of the pandemic.
Number rose to 8,094 and death rate to 1.51%, with seven more Covid 19 deaths in the last 24 hours, since the first fatality was reported on March 18.
[ 28th Jan, 2021 Bangladesh ]  The Covid 19 infection rate in the country now stands at 3.43 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  said in a handout. “The mortality rate is now 1.51 percent,' the DGHS said.
[ 28th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh has recorded 533,000 coronavirus cases and more than 8,000 deaths since March last year.
[ 14th January 2021, Cox's Bazar ]  Responding to today's devastating fire that destroyed at least 500 makeshift homes in the Bangladesh camps for the Rohingya refugees in the southern district of Cox's Bazar, Save the Children's Country Director in Bangladesh Onno van Manen said, "This is another devastating blow for the Rohingya people who have endured unspeakable hardship for years.
[ 14th February 2021, Bangladesh ]  The government has decided to keep all educational institutions of the country, except Qawmi madrasas, closed till February 28 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. MA Khair, public relations officer of the Ministry of Education, confirmed the news to the media on Sunday morning.
[ 27th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The health authorities confirmed 17 new coronavirus related deaths and 528 new cases. With the new fatalities, the death toll rose to 8,072.
[ 27th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The infection rate of Covid 19 in Bangladesh fell to 3.36 percent on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  said in a handout.
[ 14th February 2021, Bangladesh ]  The latest figures showed an infection rate of 2.26%. The daily test positivity rate for Covid 19 in Bangladesh has remained below the 3% mark for nine consecutive days. The overall infection rate of the country stands at 14.09%.
[ 12th February 2021, Bangladesh ]  The health authorities said 422 people recovered from the disease over the preceding 24 hours. So far, 486,393 patients – 90.08% – have made full recoveries across the country.
[ 12th February 2021, Bangladesh ]  Currently, 10,092 people are in isolation and 32,963 are quarantined.
[ 26th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The government has worked out a plan for national vaccination against Covid 19 with a target to give two doses of jabs to each of over 130 million people to eliminate the prevalence of the deadly virus. As per the plan, a total of 138,247,000 people will be vaccinated in five stages.
[ 26th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The mortality rate is now 1.51 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services said in a handout.
[ 12th February 2021, Bangladesh ]  Meanwhile, health authorities had inoculated 542,309 people against Covid 19 as of Thursday. In addition, 1,328,436 people had registered to get the vaccine as of 2:30pm on Friday.
[ 29th Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The government has again extended the closure of educational institutions, except the Qawmi madrasas, until February 14 as there has been no significant improvement in the coronavirus situation in the country.
[ 31st January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The daily test positivity rate for Covid 19 in Bangladesh has remained below the 4% mark for six consecutive days. The latest figures showed an infection rate of 3.02% in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, according to a Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS )  press release.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The daily percentage of people testing positive for Covid 19 in Bangladesh has remained below 5% for the last seven days while it inched back above 4% in the last 24 hours. Till Monday morning, 602 infections were reported in a 24 hour span with the daily test positivity rate standing at 4.06%, according to the daily virus update by the Directorate General of Health Services  ( DGHS ) , released in the afternoon.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Around 11,000 people of the country had successfully signed up for the Covid 19 vaccine as of Saturday morning. The registration process was opened to the public on Wednesday afternoon, according to DGHS Director General  ( DG )  Dr ABM Khurshid Alam. Dr Khurshid was speaking to journalists after attending a program on World NTD  ( neglected tropical diseases )  Day in the capital.“We will allow on the spot registration for people who are unable to do it online,' said the DG.
[ 29th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Of the seven deceased – six men and a woman – three were from Dhaka Division, two from Chittagong and one each from Khulna and Rajshahi. Six of them died at different hospitals across the country, while one died at home. So far, 6,133 men  ( 75.77% )  and 1,961 women  ( 24.23% )  in the country have died of Covid 19. The mortality rate against the total number of cases detected so far stands at 1.51%.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  He told Dhaka Tribune that not vaccinating people under 18 is not a big concern because if vaccines are given to those who are at risk the most, they will be protected from getting infected even if they come into contact with an under 18 Covid 19 carrier. “The aim of vaccination is to control the spread and protect vulnerable groups. Age is a big factor here because the risk of severe illness from this disease increases with age,' he added. Nationwide vaccination programs will start after a dry run on 400 500 people in the capital. After the dry run, the nationwide vaccination will likely begin on February 8, according to the Health Ministry.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Mushtaq Hussain, adviser to Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control And Research  ( IEDCR ) , told Dhaka Tribune that the sole reason behind omitting the under 18 section of the population from the priority list comes from the lack of testing on this age group. “The vaccine has not really been tested on vulnerable groups such as underaged people, nursing mothers, and pregnant mothers. Some researchers are doing clinical trials on a small scale, but vaccinating people younger than 18 needs more work to see whether it has any adverse effect on them,' he said.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  According to the state minister, initially only the prioritized, frontline workers and anyone above 55 years of age can register into the vaccination system, which would be some 40 million people. Additional Director General of DGHS Meerjady Sabrina Flora said people with severe co morbidity, like uncontrolled diabetes or under cancer medication like immuno suppresants, pregnant women and people aged under 18 would not be considered eligible for vaccination in the first phase.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  With the latest infections, the number of all confirmed cases jumped to 532,401, the DGHS said. It said 14,810 samples were collected from suspected Covid 19 patients in the last 24 hours.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  As many as 14,829 samples, including the pending ones, were tested in the 200 authorized labs   government and private   across the country. To date, 3,570,387 tests have been conducted in the country, leading to an overall infection rate of 14.91% so far.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The country has also registered 18 more deaths from Covid 19 in the past 24 hours until Monday morning, taking the number of total fatalities to 8,041.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The DGHS said 566 people recovered from the disease over the preceding 24 hours. So far, 476,979 patients   89.59% of all infected   have made full recovery across the country.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Of the 18 deceased    15 men and three women    eight were from Chittagong division, seven from Dhaka, two from Rajshahi, and one from Mymensingh division. All the victims died at different hospitals in the country.So far, 6,095 men  ( 75.80% )  and 1,946 women  ( 24.20% )  have died from Covid 19 across the country. The mortality rate against the total number of cases detected so far stands at 1.51%.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The daily infection rate remained below 4% for the last two days as it was 3.34% and 3.92% on Sunday and Saturday respectively. On January 18, the daily test positivity rate inched above 5% and stood at 5.49%. The country is now showing a trend of single digit percentage test positivity rate for the last five weeks as the health authorities reported 10.30% infection rate on December 19 last year.
[ 26th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  It is expected that Bangladeshis will start getting vaccinated in February. But if 2020 was the year of the pandemic, perhaps 2021 can be the year of the vaccination. This is the year, if we work diligently, sensibly, and listen to the experts, that we can expect to dig our way out of despair, and into the light. However, nothing should be taken for granted, and we need to get the vaccination process right, which is nothing if not logistically complicated. The population of Bangladesh is overwhelming, and until vaccine distribution can reach the whole population, some risk of transmission will remain.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The government has never said that there will only a single source for vaccines. It said a few days ago that it would take Pfizer's vaccines. But the issue with Pfizer or Moderna's vaccines is the cold storage. We don't have the infrastructure to distribute these vaccines across the entire country. Dhaka may have one or two appropriate cold storage, so these vaccines may be distributed in Dhaka only. But we need a lot of vaccines. The number of vaccines we received from Serum is impossible for other companies to provide us with at this moment.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Serum is only required to provide COVAX or developing countries with vaccines at a reduced rate. For private sales, they will charge a higher rate. They agreed to sell vaccines to us at $8 per dose for private sales. The government is buying 30 million doses. In addition, GAVI and COVAX alliance will provide several million additional doses. By contrast, we will import only 1 million doses, which will not impact the government vaccination programme at all. We have taken this decision mainly for the pharma industry.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh on Monday received the first consignment of five million doses of Covishield from India under a procurement agreement, four days after New Delhi sent as “gift' two million doses of same Oxford AstraZeneca inoculates co manufactured by India's Serum Institute. The shipment was part of 30 million vaccine doses to reach the country under a tripartite agreement among Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd Serum Institute and the Bangladesh government. Beximco Group's Vice Chairman and Premier's Private Industry and Investment affairs Adviser Salman F Rahman talked to BSS in an exclusive interview detailing the background of the vaccine affair. He attributed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's foresightedness for the early availability of the inoculates in a massive scale in Bangladesh compared to most other countries in the neighbourhood and elsewhere.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  I then informed the Hon'ble Prime Minister that Serum agreed to give us 30 million doses but asked to be paid in advance. She agreed to the condition immediately. That was what I referred to as her foresightedness and courage. She said Bangladesh would provide the 50% of the advanced payment now and the rest will be paid once the vaccine gets approved.
[ 31st Jan 2021, Bangladesh ]  The country is facing a new challenge in the form of successful sourcing and rollout of the Covid 19 vaccination programme When coronavirus first made its way to Bangladesh, the government initially struggled to convince its mass population to maintain the health and safety rules needed to keep the rogue pathogen at bay. But gradually, people came around and the government succeeded in bringing the situation under control. Now, the country is facing a new challenge in the form of successful sourcing and rollout of the Covid 19 vaccination programme.
[ 28th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh has started its COVID 19 vaccination drive in the capital Dhaka, with plans to administer more than 30 million doses over the next few months. The first batch of people received the first shot of the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine at Dhaka's Kurmitola General Hospital on Wednesday.“We have vaccinated five persons with this initiative today. I've talked with them just now. All of them are in a sound condition. We haven't observed any kind of issue with them,' said Zahid Maleque, Bangladesh minister of health and family welfare.
[ 26th Feb 2021, Bangladesh ]  So far, 4,018,268 tests have been carried out – 15,032 in the last 24 hours.
[ 28th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh has received seven million vaccine doses from India, including two million as gifts from the Indian government and the rest purchased from the Serum Institute of India. The AstraZeneca Oxford University vaccines, manufactured under license by the Serum Institute of India, will primarily be given to front line workers, including doctors and nurses.
[ 26th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The task ahead of us, then, is daunting. Even the more advanced economies of the world have admitted that vaccine rollout will not be easy simply from an administrative standpoint. This is compounded by the fact that many are sceptical about the effects of a vaccine. Here, the government must educate people about the science behind vaccines. The only way we will emerge from this pandemic is sticking closely to the science, and if the experts believe that the vaccine is ready for dissemination, baseless conspiracy theories and fear will do us no good. While to many, vaccination is an absolute good, others will resist the process, prolonging the pandemic. The challenge ahead, then, will not simply be logistical and administrative, but one of battling misinformation and ignorance.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  While schools are likely to be reopened after almost a year long hiatus, the government has decided not to vaccinate the population under the age of 18, at least in the first phase. The government decision also banks on the fact that the severity of the virus is not the same in the younger population as that of the elderly. Hence young people will not be included in the first phase. At the same time, infectious disease experts also believe that it is not the right time to vaccinate children as it has not been tested on the underaged population yet.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The vaccines should be given to those who are highly vulnerable or exposed to the virus and those who are most at risk of becoming severely ill from the infection, Mustaq added. “It is not that people under 18 should not be given Covid 19 vaccine at all. The young population size in Bangladesh is significantly bigger than the older population, but priority should be given to the elderly population, frontliners and high risk groups as recommended by the World Health Organization,' he told Dhaka Tribune.
[ 30th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The government strongly urged students not to gather at the educational institutions or exam centres to pick up the results. Last year's HSC and its equivalent examinations were cancelled because of the pandemic, which has so far killed over 8,000 people across Bangladesh. Last week, the parliament passed three amended bills, paving the path for publishing the HSC results without holding the tests. The HSC batch of 2020 is the first batch of students who will get the certificates without taking the as it is the first time in the history of Bangladesh that a public examination has been cancelled.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Farhad Uddin Hasan Chowdhury Maruf, a specialist for infectious disease at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told Dhaka Tribune that children are less affected by the virus compared to adults, however, the government should not drop down their guard as children could still be carriers. He suggested reopening schools in phases and students to attend classes by rotation. “I do not see any reason why schools in less affected areas like Rangamati or Bandarban should still remain closed. The government should reopen schools in those areas and do surveys before reopening schools in high affected areas, like Dhaka city or Narayanganj,' he told this correspondent.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The IEDCR adviser also said that for now, this is a vaccine for adults but in order to vaccinate 80% of the population people, those who are under 18 must also be vaccinated. “It would not happen in the first phase as the virus seems to be more deadly for the elderly people throughout the world,' he added.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Three amendment bills were passed in parliament on Sunday, paving the path for publishing the results of the Higher Secondary Certificate  ( HSC )  and equivalent examinations by January 28 without holding the tests. These bills are "Intermediate and Secondary Education  ( Amendment )  Bill 2021," "Bangladesh Technical Education Board  ( Amendment )  Bill 2021," and "Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board  ( Amendment )  Bill 2021." Education Minister Dipu Moni moved the bills in the House and they were then passed by voice vote. It was proposed to promulgate three ordinances amending "Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance 1961," "Bangladesh Technical Education Board Act 2018," and "Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board Act 2020" to publish the results of the HSC and its equivalent examinations.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  As per the existing laws, there is no provision to publish the HSC results without holding examinations. Since it was not possible to hold examinations amid the Covid 19 pandemic, the amendment bills were placed. “Although the ordinance has a mandatory provision of holding public examinations, not only Bangladesh, the developed countries also have taken alternative steps instead of holding public examinations under the consequence of the Covid 19 situation,' the minister told parliament. Most of the opposition lawmakers including Harunur Rashid, Rumin Farhana, Rawshan Ara Mannan, Mokabbir Khan and Mujibul Haq opposed the enactment of the law.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  On the other hand, another opposition member Fazley Imam gave full support and said: “The enactment of the law is an expression of the wisdom of the government considering the situation of the pandemic.' The results will be published after coordinating 75% of the SSC and 25% from the JSC JDC results, the education minister said recently. The HSC and its equivalent examinations were postponed in October 2019 due to Covid 19 situation.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The cabinet earlier this month approved the draft bill for an amendment to the Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance 1961 allowing the education boards to publish results without holding examinations during any crisis. In October, the Education Ministry had formed a seven member technical committee, headed by Additional Secretary Nazmul Haque Khan for developing a method of evaluating the candidates based on their previous SSC and JSC results. The HSC batch of 2020 will be the first batch of students who will get certificates without sitting for the examinations as it is the first time in Bangladesh history that a public examination has been cancelled.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Sumaiya Binte Imad and Sarah Carr highlighted the inequalities within and between schools. Even within their own school they saw significant disparities in relative wealth, causing some poorer students to be bullied and socially excluded, which teachers didn't know how to handle. They described cases of students in public schools who weren't taught how to apply to college, blocking their access to further education and maintaining a vicious cycle of inequality.Students suggested an existing initiative with the potential to address such inequality is one in which older students help provide lessons to the children of the school's support staff, in order to improve the education and life chances of less privileged students within their own community.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Second, students expressed the need for: Increased awareness of learning difficulties like dyslexia and ADHD, gender sensitive education, and a greater focus on social and emotional well being, with teachers providing support to students. These changes could be implemented as part of a personal social and health education program, they suggested.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  In 2020, teachers have faced unprecedented challenges head on    they have adapted, innovated, and reimagined teaching and learning in more ways than one. While many have pivoted to different mediums, methods, and modes of teaching and staying connected with students, others have struggled to cope. Overall, it has affected their well being. However, the essentiality of adaptability and lifelong learning has been accentuated in the current scenario. Unlearning and relearning has emerged as the key skill for survival. Teachers not only need to be supported to ensure their psychological well being, they also need professional development to leverage technology to meet the widening learning gaps, student dropouts, and deliver effective futuristic pedagogy.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  One of the ways in which the coronavirus pandemic continues to leave a mark is through putting a dent on the future of our nation: Lockdowns have shut down schools, leading to children across the country unable to access the education they sorely need and deserve.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Third, students feel it's vital that their teachers are enthusiastic about their subject, as this makes lessons more interesting and effective. However, there is concern that only one form of teaching is used. The current lecture based approach doesn't take adequate account of different learning types    for example visual versus auditory learners    meaning many students find it more difficult to take in the subject matter. Students suggested that lessons would be more engaging if there was more interaction between students and teachers, which could include more frequent discussions, debates, and project based learning. The students supported the idea of continual professional development training for teachers, which could help expand their teaching techniques.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Fifth, students expressed frustration at the out dated resources they were learning from and were eager for existing online resources to be incorporated into the curriculum in order to update, enhance, and diversify their learning. They felt passionately about having more choice over what they learn at school. Many feel as though the current system has become narrow, driven by the requirements of a small number of professions.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Based on the aforementioned issues mentioned, Professor J S Rajput shared his insights on how to tackle this situation in order to get the highest return that will benefit all the stakeholders in this sector. He said, “My experience tells me, the highest return will come if you invest in the teachers. If a teacher is willing to continuously grow, that will make all the difference.' He also believes that if the relationship between a learner and a teacher is established on a one to one basis, then a lot of tension between these two participants will be reduced. On the other hand, the results from a survey conducted by Alokito Teachers under Alokito Hridoy Foundation on a pool of 268 teachers to know about the kind of support teachers need to continue with the teaching learning activities in Covid 19 highlighted some key issues.
[ 25th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  With this in mind, and the understanding that the presence of a vaccine will not magically make the pandemic go away    by some estimates, it will take two to three years    in addition to the fact that other means such as TV and radio have been mostly ineffective during the lockdown, it is imperative that we open up schools but, at the same time, keep the health of the children and their families in mind. In this regard, the government's plan to reopen schools by February 4 is commendable, especially considering that the Ministry of Education has sent out guidelines which need to be followed, such as the mandatory use of masks, different modes of teaching, and the monitoring of health of all concerned in the institution.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  She also mentioned that the public universities of the country will take admission tests on a cluster basis, apart from the four ones, which will be very much helpful for the students and guardians during this pandemic period. The government had closed all educational institutions and coaching centres around the country mid March last year amid the escalating Covid 19 pandemic.
[ 27th Feb, 2021 Bangladesh ]  The daily infection rate rose to 3.30%, which was 3.13% on Friday.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Bangladesh, hit hard by repeated floods in 2020, saw a substantial crop loss forcing the government to go for huge rice import in 2021, first time in four years. Sources say, Bangladesh can now look forward to ASAP+ as the country has been a previous beneficiary of IFAD led climate resilient agricultural initiatives.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The country has already received two million vaccines as a gift from India. The minister hoped that the first consignment of five million AstraZeneca vaccine of Oxford, which were bought from the Serum Institute of India  ( producer )  may arrive Monday. All preparations have been made for this, the minister said but was unaware of the arrival time. Zahid Maleque also hoped that Bangladesh would get the second consignment in February. “The permission to import vaccines under non governmental arrangements is yet to be given,' he added.
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The government has finally approved the long anticipated antibody tests for a Covid 19. Health Minister Zahid Maleque made the announcement to the media from the meeting room of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Sunday. Antibody tests look for the presence of covid antibodies after infection and how the body fights off the virus. Speaking to the media, the health minister said: “This decision  [ of allowing antibody tests ]  was long anticipated, and now we have given permission to conduct them.'
[ 24th January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Earlier, Bangladesh Medical Research Council  ( BMRC )  permitted the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh  ( icddr,b )  to carry out efficiency verification tests for antibody tests. Earlier this month, National Technical Advisory Committee  ( NATC )  in Covid 19 urged the government to start antibody tests to assess the effectiveness of the incoming vaccines. The Covid 19 National Technical Advisory Committee  ( NATC ) too urged the government to start antibody tests to assess the effectiveness of the incoming vaccines.
[ 23rd January 2021, Bangladesh ]  With the government getting ready to launch the Covid 19 vaccine program in the near future, health experts say it should follow a go slow policy and continue with caution as it is a challenging task to vaccinate millions of people. Since the nation did not join any Coovid 19 vaccine phase three trial, they warned that if the campaign started in a hurry with any negative note due to lack of science planning, large scale vaccination against the deadly virus, it would face a significant setback.
[ 23rd January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Abu Jamil Faisel, one of the members of the Public Health Expert Divisional Advisors' Group, said that the government is taking various preparations for making the vaccination campaign a success.He also said that the government must communicate with people through a mass campaign and disseminate information about the merits and demerits of the vaccine. “The ministers, politicians and other authorities concerned should not make any unguarded remarks on the vaccine that may create confusion among people. We must convince people to receive the vaccine through motivation.'
[ 23rd January 2021, Bangladesh ]  The experts proposed doing a dry run at certain hospitals for a short period of time in order to learn the right way to deliver the vaccine. “We need to find the loopholes in logistics and instruction, analyze the preparations and understand other necessary items that would be needed during the mass inoculation program.' “Adopting a successful engagement policy, the government should initiate a concerted campaign to dispel the misconception and anxiety of citizens about the vaccine', they added.
[ 23rd January 2021, Bangladesh ]  Besides, an expert medical team should be kept at every vaccination centre to attend the vaccine takers if any immediate complication or side effect develops among them. The health expert said: “Every person should remain under the observation of a medical team for at least one hour after receiving the vaccine.' “If anyone falls sick after the vaccination, he/she must be given proper treatment so that no negative impression is created among people about the campaign.'