Health officials reported 78 deaths from Covid-19 yesterday, the highest in a day since the first three cases of coronavirus were detected last year.

Two supporters of rival Dakshin Ulania union chairperson candidates were killed in a clash in Barishal’s Mehendiganj upazila early yesterday.

Hefajat-e-Islam would not tolerate closure of Qawmi madrasas and restrictions on offering Tarabi prayers at mosques during Ramadan in the name of stopping the spread of coronavirus, said its Ameer Junayed Babunagari yesterday.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen underscored the need for meaningful mutual cooperation, improvement in response to health-related emergency situations, and an increase in female participation to tackle the challenges posed by the unprecedented pandemic in establishing world peace.

The Chinese government will soon send five lakh jabs of Covid-19 vaccines, developed by their state-owned drug maker Sinopharm, to Bangladesh as gift, health officials said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said it is now more important than ever to work together for building a better future.

Motorcyclists, who operate their vehicles under different ride-sharing services, staged demonstrations in different parts of the city yesterday.

Traders took to the streets again yesterday, demanding that the government allow shopping malls, markets and shops in the capital and in other districts to open.

With fresh Covid-19 cases crossing 7,000-mark for the second consecutive day yesterday, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam said they would make decision on extension of ongoing restriction in a meeting on Thursday.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs yesterday said people will not be allowed to have iftar and sehri at mosques during Ramadan.

Some 272 Bangladeshi migrant workers returned home from Lebanon yesterday amid a ban on incoming passengers from the Middle East country due to a rapid surge in coronavirus infections.

Shop owners and employees of New Market, Bashundhara City Shopping Mall and Sadarghat areas in Dhaka took to the streets to protest the government’s decision to keep all shops and malls closed during the seven-day restriction to contain Covid-19 surge.

Faruque Hassan-led Sammilito Parishad won the biennial election to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association yesterday.

Compared to the previous week, deaths due to Covid-19 has increased by around 71 percent and transmission of novel coronavirus continued to surge.

The Election Commission yesterday postponed all elections, including the first phase of union parishad and sixth phase of municipality polls, due to a steep rise in coronavirus infections.

The first day of the ban on ride-sharing services via motorcycles stripped over one lakh bikers of means to a livelihood until further notice.

The education ministry yesterday declared that in-person classes at secondary schools and colleges across the country would resume on May 23 after Eid-ul-Fitr.

The country’s stock of Covid-19 vaccine today is getting an additional 12 lakh Oxford-AstraZeneca shots given by the Indian government as a gift.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday visited the plant of country’s first life-saving vaccine producing institute INCEPTA Vaccines Ltd at Zirabo in Savar, said a press release.

The health directorate reported 1,865 fresh cases of novel coronavirus infection in 24 hours ending at 8:00am yesterday, the highest in last three months.