Coronavirus: Writ seeks formation of monitoring cell

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court (HC) seeking its direction to form national monitoring cell in order to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus or COVID-19 in the country.

Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab filed the writ petition on Thursday.

The HC bench, led by Justice JBM Hasan, is likely to hear the petition on Sunday (March 8).

Earlier on February 10, Law and Life Foundation, a rights organisation, sent a legal notice to the government, requesting it to take necessary measures including formation of a high-powered monitoring cell in order to combat coronavirus.

Advocate Humayun Kabir Pallab served the legal notice on behalf of Law and Life Foundation urging the authorities concerned to take immediate and appropriate steps across the country, including special measures at airports, land ports, seaports and hospitals to prevent coronavirus.

In the legal notice, the organisation said it is necessary to make sufficient numbers of masks, relevant equipment and accessories available in order to prevent the spread of the virus in Bangladesh.

All public and private hospitals should be well-equipped and ready for possible coronavirus-affected patients, it said in the legal notice.

Today, the writ petition has been filed with the HC as the legal notice sent to the government earlier was unanswered.

Dhaka/Mahidi/AI