22 lower court judges 5 DCs, 2 Div chiefs contract Covid-19

Covid-19

Dhaka, Jan 17 – At least 22 judges of lower courts have been infected with Covid-19 during a training at Bangladesh Judicial Administration Training Institute, officials said on Monday. 

The infected judges are from 43rd and 44th batches of the training, said director of Bangladesh Judicial Administration Training Institute, Mohammad Golam Kibria. 

Five deputy commissioners and two divisional commissioners have also tested positive for Covid 19, officials said on Monday.

Two divisional commissioners are from Rajshahi and Barishal divisions while five deputy commissioners are from Cox’s Bazar, Chuadanga, Patuakhali, Laxmipur and Rajshahi.

The infected judges were kept in isolation at the institute, he said. 

The authorities concerned also suspended the training until further notice, as the judges got infected with the virus, he added. 

The two-month long training of 70 judges of different Assistant Judges and Judicial Magistrates began on January 9.

The infected divisional commissioners and DCs were scheduled to join the three-day DC Conference beginning in Dhaka on Tuesday. 

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said all DCs and gunmen were asked to conduct RT-PCR test before joining the conference.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to open it, said Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat after the Cabinet meeting.

The DC conference has already been shortened to a three-day one from five-day, which will take place at Osmani Memorial Auditorium instead of the meeting room in the Cabinet division due to the fresh surge of Covid-19, said the Cabinet Secretary. - UNB