Former chief whip Abdus Shahid, Gono Forum MP Mokobbir contract coronavirus

Former chief whip Md Abdus Shahid and Gono Forum MP Mokobbir Khan have contracted COVID-19, taking the number of Bangladeshi lawmakers who have tested positive for the disease to 11.

Awami League MP Shahid of Moulvibazar-4 constituency has been admitted to Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute and Hospital while Mokobbir of Sylhet-2 to Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.   

Md Abdus Shahid and Mokobbir Khan

Shahid, a diabetic, does not have respiratory distress but fever and Mokobbir have both symptoms, their aides said.

Shahid’s aide Md Sayeed Haider had earlier tested positive for the disease and recovered.

Mokobbir was admitted to the emergency department of CMH with the COVID-19 symptoms on Monday and was transferred to the coronavirus ward after he tested positive on Tuesday, his aide Juber Khan said. Mokobbir joined the budget session on the first day on Jun 10.

The MPs who have tested positive for the novel virus include Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque of Gazipur-1 and Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing of Bandarban.

Shahiduzzaman Sarker of Nagaon-2 was the first MP to have tested positive for the virus. He has recovered from the disease.  

Former minister Mohammed Nasim, the MP from Sirajganj-1, has died recently after a stroke while undergoing treatment for COVID-19.

The other infected MPs are Moslem Uddin Ahmed of Chattogram-8, Ranajit Kumar Roy of Jashore-4, Mohammad Ebadul Karim of Brahmanbaria-5, Faridul Haque Khan of Jamalpur-10, and Mustafizur Rahaman Chowdhury of Chattogram-16.