For 1st time a judge in Bangladesh dies from COVID-19

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - For the first time a judge in Bangladesh died due to the novel coronavirus Wednesday night in the country's main military hospital in the capital Dhaka, said official sources on Thursday.

Ferdous Ahmed, 58, was a Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal judge, who was posted in the country’s northern border district of Lalmonirhat.

“He was infected by the virus during performing duties at virtual court,” Saifur Rahman, the spokesman of the country’s highest court, told Anadolu Agency.

Amid the outbreak of the lethal virus, Bangladesh approved judicial activities through virtual means on May 7, citing people's needs.

Till date, 40,000 convicts have been granted bail after hearings on around 75,000 petitions in the country's lower courts, according to official records.

Ahmed was admitted to the country’s main military hospital in Dhaka on June 7 after testing positive for the virus.

“He [Ahmed] is the first judge who died of the virus in our country,” Rahman said, adding that he is one of the two senior district judges of the country.

According to the latest official data, 144 judicial staff contracted the virus, including 32 judges and 80 other employees in subordinate courts or lower courts, while 32 officials and employees in the higher court.

Bangladesh, with a population of over 165 million, has recorded 122,660 infections, including 1,582 deaths by Wednesday, according to the Health Ministry.

Due to an upsurge in cases, authorities have now divided the country into three zones -- red are high-risk areas, yellow moderate, and green low-risk.