Two women in Moulvibazar and Bogra reportedly died due to Covid-19 infection on Sunday.
In Moulvibazar, a woman died on Kashinath road suffering from fever and respiratory problems and is suspected to have been infected by Covid-19.
The deceased, Rezia Begum, 65, returned to Bangladesh from the United Kingdom (UK) on January 11.
According to local sources, Rezia was suffering from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and several other health complications.
She was taken to Moulvibazar 250 Bed District Sadar Hospital on Sunday afternoon and died while undergoing treatment. Her family collected a death certificate stating that she died due to heart disease and buried her after bringing the body home on Monday.
Five houses including MR Villa, the one where the woman lived, were closed off and seven people including doctors and nurses were put under home quarantine.
Moulvibazar Superintendent of Police Md Faruk Ahmed said a police team was deployed to limit movement of people on Kashinath road.
However, after examining the evidence, Civil Surgeon Touhid Ahmed said Rezia did not die due to coronavirus infection.
In Bogra, a woman suffering from diarrhoea died in Parabaisha village of Darginpara union in Bogra’s Gabtali upazila. She was allegedly a Covid-19 patient.
The deceased is Ismat Ara, 26.
Based on a tipoff that Ismat was suffering from Covid-19, the local authorities prevented her burial at her husband Atowar Hossain’s house, fearing the spread of coronavirus. She was later buried at her father’s house in Rangpur.
According to Atowar, his wife was suffering from diarrhoea from Saturday and died on Sunday afternoon.
“Police and local representatives prohibited me from burying her in our house in Bogra,” he said.
“My children and I were checked at Rangpur Medical College Hospital and the doctors found no evidence of infection. An injustice was committed against my wife because of rumours,” he added.
Darginpara union Chairman Aminul Islam said Ismat died suffering from cold, fever, and diarrhoea.
“Covid-19 is a contagious disease. If she was buried here, the whole village would have suffered. It was done in the public interest. Nothing can be done now even if it was a mistake,” he added.
Gabtali police station OC Saber Reza said police never prohibited Ismat’s burial at her husband’s house. Rather, they guarded the house all night.
Gabtali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rawnak Jahan said Ismat was denied her rights being pressured by the locals, without doing any check-ups.
“I tried to contact the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, and the deputy commissioner, but they were unreachable,” she added.
