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BSS-34
COVID19-UNDP-SUPPORT
UNDP supports manufacturing, distribution of sanitizers in Khulna
DHAKA, April 11, 2020 (BSS) – In a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the
local administration and the Khulna University’s Pharmacy Department, the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangladesh has initiated
manufacture of hand sanitizers and distributed those free among 4,000 poor
people and village police personnel who are the front-line COVID-19 fighters
in Khulna.
Iqbal Hossain, Deputy Director of Local Government, Khulna District
Administration, and District Facilitator of UNDP’s Efficient and Accountable
Local Governance (EALG) Project, coordinated the initiative, a UNDP press
release said here today.
Explaining its urgency, Hossain said: “Officials and employees at all
levels of the district administration have been working hard to ensure public
service, including distribution of relief, to protect people from
coronavirus.”
COVID-19 has put Bangladesh into an unforeseen challenging situation that
led the government of Bangladesh to ask for shutdown of all economic
activities except for emergency services and urge people to restrict mobility
and stay at home.
Union Parishad functionaries and Village Police are the front-line people
providing COVID response support at community level.
“These sanitizers and safety kits have been provided to ensure the safety
of front-line people providing COVID-19 response support and also all
officers and employees involved with the district-wise relief program under
the direction of the Deputy Commissioner,” said Mohammad Helal Hossain,
Khulna’s Deputy Commissioner.
He thanked UNDP for providing the kits to the local administration, as it
will help them maintain healthy social distancing.
The sanitizers, produced by the department’s teachers and students
following World Health Organisation’s guidelines, along with soaps, masks and
hand gloves were distributed among local government agencies.
Nuri Tasmin Urmi, Assistant Commissioner of Local Government, expressed
her gratitude to Dr Ashish Kumar, the Head of the Faculty of Pharmacy of
Khulna University, his colleagues and students; for successful manufacturing
of the sanitizers at the local level with his 25-strong team comprised of 5
teachers and 20 students. So far 6,000 bottles of 100 mm each were
distributed.
The safety kits were sent to the concerned offices by the district
administration’s vehicle to avoid gatherings.
BSS/PR/MRI/KU/1950 hrs