A confirmed case of Covid-19 on the Greek island of Lesbos has sparked fears about the impact of an outbreak in refugee camps from Mexico to France where people live in dire conditions with poor hygiene and little medical care.

So far there are no reported cases of the virus in Bangladesh‘s densely-populated Cox’s Bazar camps but medics are setting up isolation units in hospitals and teaching children about cleanliness through a network of mostly women volunteers.

“(Women will) help carry out systematic preventative health and health promotion messaging in their communities,” said Louise Donovan, spokeswoman of the U.N.’s refugee agency.

Around 700,000 Rohingya refugees who arrived in Bangladesh in 2017 in a mass exodus from neighbouring Myanmar live in huts built out of plastic and bamboo in an area half the size of Manhattan.

They face overstretched and poorly-resourced health services which is “why we have been advocating for refugees to be included in national preparedness and response plans,” said Donovan.

Bangladesh confirmed its first three cases of coronavirus on Sunday and postponed a major public event marking the centenary of the country’s founder.

EARLY WARNINGS

Rohingya women, many of whom suffered sexual violence in Myanmar and who now run most of the camps’ households are uniquely positioned to spread awareness about the disease, said Razia Sultana, a Rohingya lawyer.

“More than 70% of the people in the camps are women and children. These children will pick up habits from their mothers, so its important to get as many women trained as possible,” said Sultana.

Data released by Chinese authorities on coronavirus deaths suggest fewer women are dying than men with some scientists citing hormonal differences.

Shamima Bibi, a refugee who runs several schools said that she has started telling students to “stay as clean as possible” in order to not get infected.

“Not just in class but in other places in the camps as well, we are telling everyone to wash their hands and cover their face while sneezing and do whatever we can to stay safe,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Bibi said people in the camps are not “excessively worried” about the virus but have been cautious ever since Bangladesh confirmed the presence of the disease in Dhaka, about 400 kilometers away.

The U.N. has trained hundreds of health staff to detect the infection in an attempt to provide early warnings should the virus spread to the camp, said Donovan.

If the virus takes hold, refugees can also be referred to a hospital outside the camps in Cox’s Bazar, said Mahbub Alam Talukder, the government’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner. “We have prepared well and everything is under control,” he said.

(Thomson Reuters Foundation)

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The first test will be played from June 11 in Chattogram while the second test will be played from June 19 in Dhaka, with 120 points up for grabs in the World Test Championship.

Australia are second in the Championship standings with 296 points, behind leaders India, while Bangladesh have yet to open their account.

The last time Australia toured Bangladesh, the series ended 1-1.

After the Bangladesh series, Australia visit Scotland for a one-off Twenty20 at the end of June before visiting England for three T20 matches and three one-day internationals in July.

(Reuters)

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Hundreds of shanties were destroyed in the Rupnagar slum in the city’s Mirpur area, witnesses said.

As many as 150 firefighters scrambled to get access to enough water and battled for three hours to bring the flames under control, said fire service official Zillur Rahman.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Video footage showed heavy plumes of smoke billowing all around the congested slum area.

Lax regulations and poor enforcement have often been blamed for large fires in the South Asian nation that have killed hundreds of people in recent years.

At least 25 people were killed in March last year when fire broke out in a 22-storey commercial building in Dhaka’s upscale area of Banani.

In February last year, an inferno in a centuries-old neighbourhood of Dhaka killed 71 people and injured dozens.

(Reuters)

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The Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the Home Office, or interior ministry, in a case brought by Christie Elan-Cane, who identifies as “non-gendered”, and said current passport rules do not constitute a human rights breach.

Elan-Cane, who first started campaigning for genderless people in 1992 after shedding a female identity, argued that passports should have an “X” option for those who do not identify as either male or female.

The activist said Britain’s current policy, to only offer male or female categories, represented a breach of European Convention of Human Rights articles governing respect for private life and discrimination on the basis of gender or sex.

“This decision is devastating to me,” Elan-Cane said in a statement after the ruling.

“Legitimate identity is a fundamental human right … it is unacceptable that someone who defines as neither male nor female is forced to declare an inappropriate gender in order to obtain a passport.”

The court case has come as more people define themselves as non-gendered – or non-binary – including British singer Sam Smith, who asked in September last year to be referred to by the pronouns “they” and “them”.

Globally more than 10 countries, including Bangladesh, Canada, Germany, India and Australia, currently offer gender marker options beyond male or female.

Backed by law firm Clifford Chance, which took on the case pro bono in 2013, Elan-Cane was challenging a 2018 High Court ruling dismissing a potential judicial review into the case.

Elan-Cane said the next step was to seek an appeal of the decision at Britain’s highest court, the Supreme Court.

In its ruling, however, the Court of Appeal said it recognised that Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights – which covers the right to privacy – does include non-gendered identities.

“It means, in practical terms, that the government must take into account the rights of such individuals when taking policy decisions, marking a milestone in civil rights litigation on gender identity and LGBTI+ rights,” said Anne Collins, an associate at Clifford Chance.

(Reuters)

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The study for the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations found that while factory safety had improved since the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster, Bangladesh was backsliding on workers’ rights.

“Today, many of Bangladesh‘s ready-made garment factory buildings are structurally safer, but the workers inside are not,” said the report, released by the Democrat Senator Bob Menendez.

“Labour rights have declined precipitously in recent years as union organizers contend with pressure on freedoms to associate, organize, and demonstrate. Worse, workers are being abused – verbally, physically, and sexually.”

A senior official with the labour ministry denied there had been any backsliding on labour rights, but said there was room for improvement.

Bangladesh, which ranks behind only China as a supplier of clothes to Western countries, relies on the garment industry for more than 80 percent of its exports, and about 4 million jobs.

Many top Western fashion brands manufacture clothing in Bangladesh and the industry has been under global scrutiny since the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed seven years ago, killing 1,134 people.

“We want to work with the international community,” said K.M. Ali Azam, secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, promising to have a “detailed discussion” with factory owners on the report’s findings.

“We will have a discussion regarding this report and work on including the suggestions that are possible to include,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Monday.

U.S. researchers travelled to Dhaka in July to speak to Bangladeshi garment workers, union activists, government officials and civil society representatives for the study, published last week.

They found union leaders faced threats and intimidation, hampering their ability to investigate claims of abuse, most of which were from women workers who make up the majority of the workforce in Bangladesh‘s garment industry.

Azim said there had been no recent reports of major abuse of women workers.

The study comes amid concern over the ending on May 31 of a mechanism led by European fashion brands that has been credited with improving working conditions in more than 1,000 factories in Bangladesh.

It will be replaced by a private monitoring entity, RMG Sustainability Council, which will be made up of factory owners, union leaders and brand owners.

(Thomson Reuters Foundation)

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FOOTBALL

— In Italy, the hardest-hit European country with 366 deaths from COVID-19, Serie A descended into controversy when Italian sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora called for the league season to be put on hold.

Italian Footballers’ Association president Damiano Tommasi tweeted that “stopping football is the most useful thing for our country right now. The teams to cheer are playing in our hospitals, in emergency rooms.”

However, five Serie A games — cancelled the previous week — went ahead behind closed doors, including Juventus’ top of the table clash with Inter Milan.

— The Italian Cup semi-finals have also been postponed to a date to be arranged.

— The start of Japan’s J-League was postponed till mid-March while China suspended all domestic football and shelved indefinitely the top-flight Super League season.

— The Valencia v Atalanta Champions League clash on Tuesday will be played behind closed doors as will the Europa League tie featuring Inter Milan against Getafe on Thursday.

— Former Danish international Thomas Kahlenberg tested positive for the virus, with 13 members of his former club Brondby’s staff put into quarantine.

TENNIS

— The ATP and WTA Indian Wells tournament was cancelled as California health officials declared a public health emergency in the Indian Wells-Palm Springs area after there was a confirmed case of the coronavirus, the first major sports event in the US to be shelved because of the outbreak.

Many players had already arrived with main draw matches having been scheduled to begin Wednesday.

The tournament, which draws more than 400,000 fans each year, had already offered refunds to anyone who bought tickets but did not want to attend.

MOTOR SPORT

— Bahrain’s Formula One Grand Prix on March 20-22 will be held without spectators.

— Formula One’s Chinese Grand Prix, which was set for April 19 in Shanghai, has been postponed.

— In motorcycling, the season-opening Qatar MotoGP, which should have taken place over the weekend, was cancelled and the Thailand MotoGP on March 22 postponed until October 4.

— Formula E postponed indefinitely the Rome E-Prix, which was due to be held on April 4.

— The E-prix in Sanya, China, on March 21 has been cancelled.

BASKETBALL

— LeBron James said he won’t play if his Los Angeles Lakers have to hold games behind closed doors due to the outbreak.

The NBA has reportedly told teams to look into strategies on how to play without fans in the arena amid concerns over the spreading virus.

“Nah. It’s impossible. If I show up to the arena and there ain’t no fans in the crowd, then I ain’t playing. This ain’t Europe.”

CYCLING

— The spring classic Milan-San Remo, scheduled for March 21, was postponed, having only previously been cancelled three times since the inaugural edition in 1907.

— The Strade Bianchi, the first big race of the Italian cycling season set for Saturday, was also cancelled along with the Tirreno-Adriatico while teams such as Mitchelton, Ineos and Astana pulled out of the Paris-Nice.

— The UAE Tour’s last two stages were abandoned with riders and teams subsequently quarantined in their Abu Dhabi hotels. The Gulf state announced eight coronavirus cases linked to the event — four Italians, two Russians, one German and a Colombian.

TOKYO OLYMPICS

— International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said last week that the nightmare scenario of either cancelling or postponing this year’s Tokyo Olympics was not discussed at a key meeting.

“Neither the word cancellation nor postponement was mentioned today during the Executive Board meeting,” Bach told reporters in Lausanne.

The Olympics take place from July 24-August 9.

RUGBY UNION

— The Six Nations match between Italy and England in Rome on March 14 as well as the Ireland v Italy duel in Dublin on March 7 were postponed.

— Scotland’s women’s Six Nations match against France on Saturday was postponed after a Scottish player tested positive for the coronavirus.

— Sevens World Series tournaments in Hong Kong on April 3-5 and Singapore the following weekend will now be played in October.

CRICKET

— Nepal’s Everest Premier League, scheduled to begin on March 14, has been called off. The fourth edition of the Twenty20 league was to have featured West Indies batting star Chris Gayle.

GOLF

— European Tour chiefs postponed the Maybank Championship in Malaysia and the China Open in Shenzhen — both set for April.

— The US LPGA Tour cancelled all three of its lucrative early-season events in Asia with a combined prize purse of more than $5 million.

— The Asian Tour has cancelled tournaments this week on Thailand and later this month in Bangladesh.

ATHLETICS

— The World Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13-15, were postponed until next year.

— World half-marathon championships, due to be held on March 29 in the Polish city of Gdynia, shelved until October 17.

— The Paris Marathon, scheduled for April 5 with 60,000 registered runners, was postponed until October 18.

— The Barcelona Marathon, which was scheduled for March 15 with 17,000 runners, was postponed until October.

ALPINE SKIING

— The World Cup finals, scheduled for Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy between March 16-22, were cancelled.

ICE HOCKEY

— The Women’s World Ice Hockey Championships, set for Halifax and Truro in Nova Scotia for March 31 to April 10, were cancelled.

(AFP)

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Soumya hit an unbeaten 62 off 32 balls, his second Twenty20 half-century and a career best, after an in-form Liton made 59 off 39 balls to guide Bangladesh 200-3 in the 20 overs.

The visitors were never up to the task when replying to the handy score and were bowled out for 152 runs in 19 overs to suffer their biggest Twenty20 defeat against Bangladesh.

Leg-spinner Aminul Islam grabbed three wickets for 34 runs and Mustafizur Rahman finished with 3-32. The other new-ball bowlers rattled Zimbabwe in the opening batting Powerplay to reduce the tourists to 3-37.

Tinashe Kamunhukamwe was top scorer for Zimbabwe with 28 before Aminul forced him to give a catch to Liton at long-off.

Aminul took the wicket of Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams (20) from the next ball to break the back bone of the batting line-up.

Richmond Mutumbami and Doland Tiripano also made 20 runs each. Carl Mumba provided late blitz with 25 off 16 balls but could only delay the inevitable.

Liton earlier set the platform for Bangladesh’s highest-ever Twenty20 score against Zimbabwe with a 92-run opening stand with Tamim Iqbal, who made 41 off 33 balls.

Teenage debutant Wesley Madhevere dismissed Tamim to break the stand and Sikandar Raza trapped Liton leg before to end his superb innings, which featured five fours and three sixes.

Soumya took the charge to ensure Bangladesh surpassed their previous highest score of 175 runs against Zimbabwe.

He struck four fours and five sixes, including two in the last two balls of the innings off Chris Mpofu to lift Bangladesh to 200.

“It was pleasing to see how the batters performed. Tamim and Liton gave us the start we wanted, and Soumya finished off really well,” said Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad.

Zimbabwe captain Williams lamented their performance.

“We missed our length with the ball, and partnerships at the top were required and that let us down,” he said.

The second and final match of the series will be held at the same ground on Wednesday.

(AFP)

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The event marking the centenary of the birth of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was scheduled to take place on March 17.

On Sunday, Bangladesh confirmed its first three cases of coronavirus and urged citizens returning from six countries – China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Iran and Thailand – to quarantine themselves in their homes for 14 days.

The number of people infected with the coronavirus has topped 110,000 globally as the outbreak reached more countries.

“Prime Minister’s (Modi) visit to Bangladesh next week at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is being deferred,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Ravish Kumar said.

(Reuters)

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The year-long celebrations were scheduled to open amid massive festivities at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka on March 17 and was expected to be attended by several foreign dignitaries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The planned celebrations for the Mujib Year have been rearranged in view of worldwide outbreak of coronavirus,” Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters on Sunday.

“We will convey about the rearrangement of the planned opening of the celebrations to the foreign dignitaries, leaving it to them if they would come,” he said.

Prime Minister Sheikh directed the organisers to scale down the planned festivities, but the new venue for the inauguration of the celebrations is yet to be decided, chief coordinator of the celebration committee Kamal Abdul Naser told reporters.

Bangladesh has also invited former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Nepal’s President Bidhya Devi Bhandari to address an extraordinary parliamentary session to mark the celebrations.

“There will be an opening function avoiding the mass gathering,” Naser said referring to the premier’s directive at the meeting at her official Ganobhaban residence.

He said the foreign dignitaries, including the heads of state who were scheduled to attend the opening, were now expected to join the Mujib Year celebrations at a convenient time during the year-long celebrations.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman served as the first President of Bangladesh and later as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from April 17, 1971 until his assassination on August 15, 1975.

He is considered to be the driving force behind the independence of Bangladesh. He is popularly dubbed with the title of “Bangabandhu” (Friend of Bengal) by the people of Bangladesh. His daughter Sheikh Hasina is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh on Sunday reported three cases of coronavirus. Two persons brought the disease from Italy, infecting the third one on their return home, officials said.

The infections, the first reported cases in the country, have come four days after Dhaka restricted entry of the people from major coronavirus-prone countries without a virus-free medical certificate.

(PTI)

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Mashrafe stepped down as ODI captain this week after the third and final game of a three-match series against Zimbabwe. He had led the side for more than five years.

“The board has unanimously selected Tamim Iqbal as our new ODI captain,” Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan announced at a press conference after a meeting of the governing body’s board of directors.

“We thought of appointing a captain for a short duration and then giving the job to someone else next year. But we finally decided against a short-term appointment. We hope Tamim would serve for a long term,” he added.

Tamim earlier led Bangladesh in three ODIs against Sri Lanka in July last year in the absence of the injured Mashrafe, but failed to inspire the team with Bangladesh losing all three matches.

His fresh tenure as ODI captain will start with the one-off match against Pakistan on April 1.

(AFP)

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