It is a horrifying reality that with lockdowns being enforced all around the world incidents of domestic abuse, sometimes even leading to death of the victims have increased.

As the number of Covid-19 patients increases every day in the country, with 20 deaths and 218 confirmed cases reported by the IEDCR as of yesterday, the government just has no other option but to be well-prepared to cope with the situation that may arise in the coming days.

In a speech to public representatives and officials, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave strict guidelines to doctors regarding patient care, reminding them of their duty to provide healthcare, whatever the scenario.

While there is unanimity that community transmission is happening only in clusters, experts differ with the administration that there should be no cause for concern.

At least 25 people were injured during clashes between police and garment workers on April 6 in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka upazila after workers started demonstrating for their salaries for the month of March.

With a de facto lockdown in place across the country, the vulnerability of garment workers in Bangladesh has come to the fore like no other time before.

The Prime Minister’s announcement of four new stimulus packages of TK 67,750 crore, along with the previous TK 5,000 crore package, is a bold and reassuring step for the entire country, which is in a state of extreme uncertainty.

We, and indeed the rest of the world, are going through unprecedented times pulverised by the onslaught of Covid-19.

The reports and visuals of thousands of garment workers coming back to Dhaka from their villages all over the country, cramming into ferries, pickups, trucks or walking on foot, are extremely concerning as such an influx and crowding of people are the perfect recipe for a rapid spread of the coronavirus.

With educational institutions closed for the foreseeable future to curb the spread of coronavirus, children are increasingly becoming restless in their homes, cut off from the outside world, their friends, physical activities and instructions from teachers.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has issued a set of very comprehensive directives. But, as we know, with all directives, there are three phases to it—its issuance, its speedy, efficient and systemic implementation and finally, its strict monitoring.

We are outraged at the news of a journalist being assaulted for reporting irregularities in relief distribution in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj last Wednesday.

While the PM’s Tk 5,000 crore stimulus package for export-oriented industries and government efforts to address the wage and food insecurity of people have been reassuring, especially with the entire country under partial lockdown, we are realising all too well that the present crisis and the measures taken to combat it will have far-reaching effects on practically every sector of the country.

The lead photograph published in The Daily Star on Thursday reveals a grim situation faced by many who are dependent on the public transport system for essential services such as medical treatment.

The storage space in Chattogram Port is quickly running out as reefer containers used to transport perishable goods have piled up because of limited delivery in the past few days amid the current countrywide lockdown enforced to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Even though the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) says that there has been community transmission of the coronavirus on a limited scale, approximately only 1,606 individuals have been tested so far—and when that number is compared to the projected population of 164,283,529 in Bangladesh, such an evaluation by the IEDCR seems grossly inadequate, to say the least.

The decision of the authorities to extend the country-wide shutdown for another week is a commendable one, and we express our full support for this timely pronouncement.

It is surprising that the Rohingyas have so far been left out of the ambit of effective campaigns against coronavirus.

The New York governor has rightly said that ventilators are to the coronavirus fight what “missiles were to WWII”.

As we have said time and again in this column, echoing the directives of WHO and experts within the country and outside—we must speed up the testing process on an urgent basis, now that we are entering the fourth week since Bangladesh reported its first official Covid-19 case.