Online Desk:

Readymade garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh have joined the fight against novel coronavirus by making masks and donating them to hospitals and other organisations. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Dr Rubana Huq said the factories were doing it spontaneously.

“If you have any requirement, please let us know who to give to, apart from hospitals,” she said Meanwhile, Marks and Spencer (M&S) has already started making suits for doctors, the BGMEA chief said. “Shwapna Bhowmick, Country Manager of M&S shared it with us. The fabric for doctors’ suits is special,” Rubana said adding that M&S are ready to make masks as soon as they receive fabric.

In a Facebook post, Bhowmick wrote that his team along with Pay it Forward Bangladesh, Honest, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Group of Rotary Clubs corodinated by Rotary Club Dhaka North West, BUET Alumni Association, and their manufacturing partners developed PPE with help of FCI with non-woven fabric and got approval from the Ministry of Health.

"This will be given free of cost to doctors and nurses. We are still working on getting the product quality right. Let’s spread kindness in this difficult time," Bhowmick wrote. Rubana said BGMEA will also hand over 100,000 masks to local authorities on Wednesday.

Bangladesh on Saturday announced its second coronavirus death and detection of four new patients, raising the number of such cases in the country to 24. The country confirmed its first coronavirus death on March 18. Meanwhile, the number of globally confirmed coronavirus cases rose to more than 300,000 on Sunday. So far, The virus has claimed 13,068 lives a mortality rate of 12 percent, according to Worldometer.

Covid-19 is affecting 188 countries and territories around the world and one international conveyance (the Diamond Princess cruise ship harboured in Yokohama, Japan).