Bangladesh’s largest brothel persuaded to vaccinate

The COVAX program aims to acquire vaccines for poorer countries. Recently, donor countries have pledged millions of additional doses. But the project continues to face many hurdles.

Crowds of migrant workers and families rush to escape from Bangladesh's Dhaka ahead of a tough new lockdown to be imposed on Monday, packing a ferry full at a river terminal south of the capital. "No point to sit idle and imprisoned in Dhaka. I'd rather spend time with my kids and parents at home," says one of the migrant workers leaving the capital.

An explosion at a building in Bangladesh's capital has killed at least seven people and wounded dozens more. Investigations are still ongoing into the cause of the blast.

At least seven people were killed and another 50 people were injured after a powerful explosion ripped apart a three-storey building in central Dhaka on Sunday, Bangladeshi officials said, citing a gas pipeline as the likely cause. The blast had reduced the building -- which houses a restaurant, an electronics shop and several other stores -- to rubble. Police said the explosion was so forceful that it broke the windows of at least four moving buses, injuring dozens of passengers on board.

Experts predict that the delta variant could become the predominant strain in Europe by August. Many are calling for a more comprehensive vaccination campaign to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible mutation.

At least 52 people were reported dead as a massive blaze broke out in a food processing factory on the outskirts of Dhaka.

When Bangladesh shut down for more than two months last year during its first Covid outbreak, hundreds of charities, civic groups and political parties gave out food, cash, masks and sanitiser to those who had lost their jobs. But coronavirus fatigue has set in and people have become less willing to finance the goodwill as the pandemic drags on.

At least 16 people from a Bangladeshi wedding party have been killed by lightning while disembarking from a boat. Fatal lightning strikes are becoming ever more frequent in the country.

Police say the man was arrested Sunday near Dhaka, but his female dance partner is on the run. The 20-year-old could face up to five years in prison on religious charges.

Ivory Coast has started rolling out a vaccination campaign against Ebola after recording its first known case of the disease in more than a quarter of a century.

Islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh have taken to social media to embrace the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. Experts say Dhaka should be cautious but not overly concerned.

Mohib Ullah was known for his tireless effort to highlight the struggles of the Rohingya refugees who were forced to flee to Bangladesh following a deadly crackdown by Myanmar's military in 2017.