With the country continuing to see a steady uptick in coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the government has imposed a ban on all outdoor events and activities related to the observance of Pohela Boishakh or the Bengali New Year due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"The decision was taken considering public health concerns. The deadly coronavirus has started putting its ugly claws in our country," she said while addressing the nation on Monday evening ahead of Pohela Boishakh 1427.
According to the Gregorian calendar, the Bengali New Year usually falls around April 14 or April 15.
The first day of the initial month of Boishakh of the Bengali solar calendar is called by many names, notably Naba Barsha, Pohela Boishakh, and Pohela Baisakh in various parts of Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, with five new deaths reported on Monday, the total number of deaths in Bangladesh from Covid-19 has now climbed to 39.
The country also saw a sharp rise in infections as 182 new cases were recorded the same day, taking the total number of people infected to 803.
Meanwhile, a large number of events are being canceled and postponed worldwide to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, late last year and was labeled a pandemic by WHO in March 2020.
Many other noteworthy events, from conferences to festivals to sporting events, including the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, have been canceled or postponed because of the coronavirus.