Actor, former minister Asaduzzaman Noor contracts COVID-19

Former minister and popular actor Asaduzzaman Noor has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

He was staying at home after receiving the report on Thursday night, said Ghulam Quddus, the president of Sammilita Sangskritik Jote.

Noor, an MP from Nilphamari-2, had worked as the cultural affairs minister in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet. He is now a member of the parliamentary standing committee on the cultural affairs ministry.

The 74-year-old is a trustee of the Liberation War Museum and president of Bangladesh Abritti Samanyay Parishad, a council of reciters.

He won Bangladesh's highest civilian honour Swadhinata Padak or Independence Award in 2018 for his contribution to culture.