Just like healthcare workers, law enforcers and other emergency workers, journalists have been on the frontlines since the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded in Bangladesh.
It goes without saying that stories cannot be covered from self-quarantine; reporters need to go to the field amid risks of being infected.
On April 3, the Dhaka-based Independent TV let it be known that one of its camerapersons had been diagnosed with Covid-19.
The TV station asked 47 of its staffers to self-isolate after the test result of the cameraperson came back positive, its Chief Executive M Shamsur Rahman said in a social media post.
"He [the cameraperson] informed us on March 26 that he wouldn't be able to come to work as he had symptoms. Since then, he had been in self-isolation before calling the IEDCR hotline. His sample was collected and unfortunately the result came back positive," he said in a Facebook post.
Many media outlets in Dhaka have asked newsroom staff to work from home, but that brought no respite for reporters, who have to be on the ground to cover the outbreak.
A staffer at a leading Bangla national said reporters there were exempted from covering crowded events, but still the chances of getting infected ran deep.
“Who knows the guy standing next to me during my assignment is not Covid-19 positive?” said the staffer, a photojournalist, who asked not to be named.
Meanwhile, others say organisations are ensuring little or no safety measures for their staff.
“They are only giving masks and hand sanitizers, which are just two components of PPE [personal protection equipment]”, said Rashad Ahmad, a staff reporter with the English daily New Age.
Ahmad, one of the many journalists reporting on the outbreak from the field, says it is only natural that reporters have to work in the face of risks.
“But I am concerned about the poor safety equipment for journalists,” he added.
A staffer at the Independent TV, asking not to be named, said employees there had been provided with adequate safety equipment.
“I’m satisfied with protective gear like masks and gloves provided to us,” said the cameraperson of the TV station, which has announced that one of its staffers has been diagnosed with Covid-19.
Journalist leaders slammed media outlets for not ensuring proper safety equipment and not providing necessary facilities after the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded.
“Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8, but did organisations prepare themselves to ensure safety for newsmen covering this outbreak?” asks Sajjad Alam Khan Topu, general secretary of the Dhaka Union of Journalists.
Several media outlets do not have proper or enough PPEs for their staff, he said, adding: “Many are not even providing pick and drop services or transport for reporters covering facts on the ground.”
Reaz Chowdhury, general secretary of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), echoed Topu’s remarks.
“Till date, 15 [DRU] members have informed us of having Covid-19-like symptoms. Fortunately, their tests came back negative,” he said.
Bangladesh has been seeing a rise in Covid-19 infection cases over the last few days after it reported its first three cases on March 8.
On Tuesday, the country’s disease control agency, IEDCR, confirmed 41 new cases, taking the tally to 164.
The death toll rose to 17 after five more patients died in the preceding 24 hours, it said.