Arun Bikash Dey

The story of how 148 Afghan female students of a university in Bangladesh managed to flee the Taliban-controlled Kabul can be used as the plot of a Hollywood thriller.

Three days have passed since vegetable trader Saleh Ahmed (55) fell into a roadside drain at the port city’s Muradpur area, but fire service’s rescue team is yet to trace him.

The port city once again went under water as yesterday’s overnight torrential rain, coupled with tidal surge, created waterlogging in its low lying areas, wrecking havoc on citizen life.

Allegations are rife over the mishandling of Covid vaccinations at some centres in the port city. The situation has become so convoluted in fact, that Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has withdrawn their volunteers from two vaccination centres run by Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), protesting irregularities in their vaccine programmes.

People involved with tourism, hotel and motel businesses breathed a sigh of relief as all tourist spots and parks reopened yesterday, after almost five months, despite ongoing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Without prior notice, the vaccine centres across the port city have suddenly stopped administering Moderna vaccines. This has left around 10 lakh registered vaccine aspirants in disarray.

Tofazzal Hossain took his mother to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) earlier this week, as she tested positive for Covid-19 and was suffering from breathing issues.

While people all over the country have been waiting in line for hours to get Covid-19 jabs during the mass vaccination campaign, which began three days ago, many in the port city have been found getting the facilities illegally at their homes.

Another black fungus (Mucormycosis) patient has been identified in Chattogram and is being treated at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) since Friday.

A patient diagnosed with black fungus (Mucormycosis) at Chattogram Medical College Hospital is not getting proper treatment due to lack of an essential drug necessary for the treatment, according to her family members.

After a Covid-19 patient was diagnosed with black fungus (mucormycosis) at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), fear of contracting the disease has gripped the city residents.

A patient diagnosed with black fungus (Mucormycosis) at Chattogram Medical College Hospital is not getting proper treatment due to lack of an essential drug necessary for the treatment, say family members of the patient.

Yesterday saw the highest number of positive Covid-19 cases and deaths detected in a day since the start of the pandemic in Chattogram, indicating that the situation has taken a terrible turn. Despite this, people largely are yet to take the pandemic seriously, as most were not seen following health rules outside. 

With the number of Covid-19 patients in Chattogram increasing every day, almost all Covid-dedicated beds at hospitals are occupied. According to health experts, the ongoing trend indicates that the infection rate in the district may peak in some days. 

The government initiative to build a hospital via public-private partnership (PPP) at Chattogram Railway Building (CRB) area is facing protests on grounds of potential environmental damage.

The mass vaccination programme is set to resume from today in Chattogram.

The government has decided to take over a 300-year-old building located on Nazu Miah Lane at port city’s Patharghata for preservation due to its archaeological importance.

People in rural areas of Chattogram are seemingly reluctant to go for Covid-19 testing even after suffering from fever for six to seven days, increasing the risk of further worsening the situation in the country, according to experts.

With the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in Chattogram, accommodating the surge of patients is becoming difficult in government hospitals with limited ICU facilities.

Authorities were supposed to open Kalarpool bridge in Chattogram -- which was initially planned to open in 2018 -- today, but an accident on Friday evening has delayed it for at least six months.