1,500 people across the country died from Covid -19-like symptoms from March 22 to June 27

A total of 1,500 people across the country died from Covid-19- like symptoms from March 22 to June 27, according to a report released on Thursday.

A project styled The Bangladesh Peace Observatory (BPO) under The Centre for Genocide Studies (CGS) of Dhaka University revealed the report.

In the last one week from June 21 to June 27, some 198 people died from Covid-19- like symptoms.

From June 14 to June 20, some 205 people died from such symptoms.

In the previous week, from June 7 to June 13, some 206 people had died from Covid-19- like symptoms which was the highest.

Some 154 people died in the previous week from May 31 to June 6 while Some 73 people died in the previous week from May 24 to May 30 due to the symptoms akin to coronavirus infection, the BPO report showed.

The BPO has prepared the report based on receiving information from 25 media outlets, including daily newspapers, national and regional, television and online. However, this information has not been verified from the field level.

The BPO has been publishing regular reports on a number of issues with the financial support from United Nations Development Programme(UNDP).

Dhaka division reports 338 deaths with such symptoms from March 22 to June 27 while death toll in Chattogram reached at 451 which is the highest among the eight divisions during the same period.

Mymensingh division records 55 deaths, the lowest among the divisions, the BPO report stated.

Death tolls in Sylhet, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna and Barishal divisions also reached at 83, 148, 70, 185 and 170 respectively.

BPO has given information about a few more things about the corona situation.

The BPO report says law enforcement has arrested 87 people from March 8 June 27 on charges of spreading rumors and false information about the virus.

 At least 425 were reportedly fined/penalized and 36 people were arrested all over Bangladesh during June 21-June-27 2020. Most of the fine and penalty accounted for the violation of health and safety regulations public, increasing prices and selling adulterated medicines to the public, etc.

Besides, 544 people have been arrested for embezzling relief, adulterating food and violating government guidelines on the pandemic as of June 27. Fine/ penalty was imposed to the 11,028 people across the country from March 8 to June 27.

According to the BPO report, there have been 217 cases of torture and social stigmas as of June 27 which took place centering on the coronavirus situation in different parts of the country. 

There have been 172 protests between 26 April -27 June in different districts of the country.

Of this, 27 per cent demanded for relief materials and assistance from the authorities concerned while nearly 41 per cent demanded for payment of salaries and bonuses and 6.0 per cent against irregularities in the distribution of relief.

Apart from this, 16 per cent protests were reported over lockdown rules, for accountability, against lay-off, for the waiver of rents/ tuition fees while 4.0 per cent incidents of protest were against hike in bus fares.

In addition, there have been 132 incidents of violence across the country for disputes over corona from March 12 to June 27. Some 18 were killed and 551 were injured to this end, the BPO added.

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