Tens of thousands of people defied a nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Bangladesh to attend the funeral of a top Islamic preacher, April 18. Photo: STR/AFP via Getty Images
As many as 100,000 people in Bangladesh ignored a nationwide lockdown on Saturday to attend the funeral of Islamist leader Maulana Jubayer Ahmed Ansari without masks or other protective gear, the Dhaka Tribune reports.
Why it matters: Health officials fear the mass gathering could set off a surge in coronavirus cases in a country that is ill-equipped to manage an epidemic. Bangladesh has thus far reported 2,456 cases and 91 deaths from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
- The Bangladeshi police force suspended several officers for failing to disperse the crowd, the New York Times reports.
- “The law cannot be enforced on tens of thousands of people,” a senior police official told the Dhaka Tribune.
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