Manab Zamin stops printing on slumping sales amid coronavirus crisis

The Daily Manab Zamin, one of the major tabloids in Bangladesh, has suspended print production due to a crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

The paper, which was founded in 1997, will continue publishing online and start printing again when the situation normalises, Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury said.

The decision was announced in a report ‘Print edition of Manab Zamin stopped, online begins’ in its Friday edition.

“Dear readers, you know that the entire world is in a deep crisis now. The number of deaths and infected people from the coronavirus is sharply rising. This virus has hit Bangladesh too. It has triggered fears and panic all around us. The country has already gone into a virtual lockdown and our staff are working hard for the newspaper risking their lives. The distributors and hawkers are also at risk. The sale of newspaper has slumped s well,” Matiur Rahman said in the report.

“The health and safety of our staff are the top priority to us. Because of that, we have decided to stop printing for now. But we will not stop, our online edition will run in full swing. We will keep you updated with the latest news. We must overcome the crisis and will be back in printing soon.”

All newspapers experienced a slump in sales since the country detected first virus case on Mar 8, according to the hawkers’ union.

The Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh, or NOAB, issued a notice in an attempt to dispel fears over virus transmission by newspaper. NOAB insists that newspapers are safe to touch.

But people are trying to avoid touching banknotes, mobile handsets, used helmets on ride-sharing motorbikes and newspapers as a safety precaution.

With the virus fears running deep, some local newspapers outside Dhaka also stopped printing over the past few days.