Most of the people living in capital Dhaka are not venture out of their houses and are avoiding physical communication in fear of being affected by deadly coronavirus, according to people concerned.
They said the people are staying in their houses and maintaining digital communication through social media applications such as WhatsApp, IMO, Viber, Duo, Telegram, Skype and Google Meet.
Even many of those engaged in office-based job are performing their duties from home as many organisations have already adopted ‘working from home’ policy, they said.
Most of the telecom operators, IT firms, universities, international agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) have advised their employees to work from their homes.
“We’re communicating with our colleagues digitally. As there is a fear of spread of the virus if we come in contact with anyone infected, we are working from home,” telecom operator Banglalink’s employee Bulbul Islam told Bangladesh Post.
Earlier, the government ordered shutdown of all educational intuitions across the country until March 31. Many institutions have given their students homework for the period while some others are offering classes online.
“This is the first time I’m attending classes online. Though I miss my friends, there is no other alternative in this situation,” said Shahrear Mostofa Romeo, a private university journalism post-graduate student.
He said it is a good initiative that universities are taking classes online to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country.
The second coronavirus or COVID-19-related death was confirmed in Bangladesh on Saturday while the number of the affected people has reached 24.
The first three COVID-19 patients were reported on March 8 and first death was confirmed on March 18.
Coronavirus, which emerged from China’s Wuhan city late last year, has already struck186 countries and territories affecting 284,534 people and claiming 11,839 lives until Saturday.
Daffodil International University (DIU) Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) department chairman Dr Sheikh Mohammad Shafiul Islam told Bangladesh Post, “Coronavirus has affected the world badly. It is now affecting our educational activities. To cover the loss and avoid session jam, teachers at our university are taking classes online.”
The students who have access to internet and conversant in android operating system can attend the classes from their houses, he said.
