DHAKA: Bangladesh will contribute US$ 1.5 million to the Saarc Emergency Fund proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bid to contain coronavirus (COVID-19) spread in the region, says foreign ministry sources said.

On March 15, Modi said the emergency fund could be based on voluntary contributions from all of them and India can start with an initial offer of US$10 million for this fund.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed Modi’s proposal in this regard.

Bangladesh has so far recorded two deaths and 27 infections from Covid-19, a pandemic announced by the World Health Organization. Of total patients, five recovered.

The fast spreading coronavirus has claimed more than 13,071 lives and infected 311,894 people across the world, according to Worldometer. 

Two coronavirus deaths were reported from Maharashtra's Mumbai and Bihar today, which takes the total number of deaths linked to COVID-19 in India to six.

BDST: 1344 HRS, MAR 22, 2020
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