Narayanganj is now the epicentre of coronavirus infection
Dhaka’s neighbouring district Narayanganj has become the epicentre of coronavirus infection in the country as the number of patients has been soaring in the district. Patients have spread throughout the country from Naryanganj.
In the last few days, coronavirus patients have been found in at least six districts who recently returned from Narayanganj.
Working class people from different parts of the country live in Narayanganj as the district is a business and industrial hub. As a result of soaring cases in the district, the authorities on Wednesday locked down the districts. Still, hundreds of people left the district defying the lockdown, which leads to spread of the virus in different parts of the country.
Health department and local sources said the first confirmed coronavirus patient of Tangail used to work at a clinic in Narayanganj. Two people confirmed in Narsingdi also worked at Narayanganj. A man was found to have coronavirus positive in Chattogram’s Sitakunda on Wednesday. He used to work as a security guard at a Narayanganj bank and went back to Sitakunda after falling ill on 6 April. A man from Nilphamari’s Syedpur was tested positive in the following day. He used to work at a restaurant in Narayanganj’s Chashara and went to Syedpur on 6 April. A youth from Chandpur’s Matlab upazila, who used to work at a garment factory in Narayanganj, contracted coronavirus. Another garment worker, who used to work at a factory in Narayanganj, died of coronavirus in Patuakhali’s Dumki upazila on Thursday.
IEDCR director Meerjady Sabrina also confirmed that people found to have contracted coronavirus in different districts used to live in Narayanganj.
As of Friday, Narayanganj was second only to Dhaka in terms of number of coronavirus detected patients. 18.68 per cent of the total affected patients of the country are from the district.
Number of patients in Narayanganj was 11 up to 7 April. The number rose to 38, 46 and 59 from 7-9 April. On Friday, as many as 75 people of Narayanganj have been confirmed to have been affected.
Nine out of 27 dead in the country as of Friday are from Narayanganj.
Narayanganj town and Sadar upazila are worst affected by the coronavirus. So far, infected people have been found at Thana Pukur Para, Nandipara, Deovog Akhra of the town, Kashipur Ambagan and Purbalamapara of sadar upazila, Rasulbag of Bandar upazila, Golakandail, Bhuta and Noapara of Rupganj upazila and Bishandi union of Araihazar upazila.
IEDCR on 8 March confirmed the first cases of coronavirus in the country. Among the three infected on the first day, two were of Narayanganj. The number of infected people has been increasing in the district since then. IEDCR director on Friday said, “Narayanganj has become a coronavirus epicenter for us.”
Earlier on 7 April, the IEDCR marked the district as ‘hotspot (very risky zone).
Difference with other clusters
IEDCR initially marked Narayanganj as one of the five clusters of coronavirus infection in the country. Four other clusters were the capital's Basabo, Tolarbagh, Madaripur and Gaibandha. On 5 April, the number of infected were 9, 6, 11 and 5 in Basabo, Tolarbagh, Madaripur and Gaibandha while the number was 11 in Narayanganj.
Infections have remained more or less contained in four other clusters while Narayanganj saw soaring cases.
As on Thursday, the number of patients were 9 in Basabo, 14 in Tolarbagh, 11 in Madaripur and 8 in Gaibandha while the number rose to 59 in Narayanganj. It further increased to 75 on Friday.
People dispersed throughout the contry from Narayanganj defying lockdown
The authorities locked down the district on Wednesday. Defying the lockdown, thousands of people reached their home towns boarding truck, trawler, bus, ambulance and microbus.
18 people reached Pirojpur’s Nesarabad from Narayanganj on Thursday. Local people resisted them. Police later prepared to put them on quarantine at a local school but villagers attacked them.
92 laborers went to Gaibandha from Narayanganj and Munshiganj by two boats on Wednesday night. Informed, the police kept them in quarantine.
In the last four-five days, several hundred people reached Chandpur from Narayanganj. The authorities have identified 594 of them and put in quarantine. The authorities also locked down Chandpur.
Sources also said that many people went to Gopalganj, Barishal and Moulvibazar from Narayanganj in the last couple of days.
Questions have surfaced as to how so many people were able to leave the district despite lockdown.
Civil surgeon of Narayanganj Mohammad Imtiaz said they are satisfied with the way lockdown is enforced in the district.
He said total lock down should be ensured in Narayanganj at any cost as there is a possibility of a spread of coronavirus like wildfire from the district.
Social distancing measures are also not ensured in markets and different localities of the district. People were seen thronging kitchen markets and retail shops in the district. Police check posts have been found at different parts of the district.
Narayanganj police super Zayedul Alam told Prothom Alo that they have taken stricter measures as some people have managed to slip out of the district before and after enforcement of lockdown.
He said enforcement of total lockdown is not being possible at the district since it’s a large business hub.
Moreover, over 1 million garment workers could not go to their hometown and they are coming out of their houses using different excuses hindering enforcement of complete lockdown in localities, the police super added.
(Staff Correspondents and Correspondents of respective areas have provided information for the report)
* This report, appeared in the print edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Galib Ashraf.