Bangladeshi foreign minister tests positive for virus

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the country’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

A statement by the ministry said that Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen was also diagnosed with the virus.

Both minister and the secretary were test ahead of their visit to Niger to attend the 47th Foreign Ministerial Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to be held on Nov. 27-28.

“Both the minister and the secretary are doing well. They are in Isolation at homes under supervision of physicians,” the statement said.

The foreign minister had to lead the Bangladesh’s delegation in the conference.

A delegation comprising officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh along with the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the OIC will represent Bangladesh at the conference, the ministry said.

Bangladesh has registered a total of 6,487 virus-related deaths and 454,146 infections with a sharp rise in number of cases over the last couple of weeks.

The total number of recoveries in the country reached 366,877.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also directed officials concerned to come up with necessary measures to tackle the possible second wave of the virus.

The Education Ministry on Wednesday said that the Secondary and Higher Secondary public examinations scheduled to be held early next year would be delayed about two months.