Bangladesh reports first virus death in Rohingya refugee camp

Bangladesh has confirmed the first death of a Rohingya refugee from the novel coronavirus infection in a settlement in Cox's Bazar.

A 71-year old resident of Kutupalong camp, the largest refugee setttlement in the world, succumbed to COVID-19 in the early hours of Tuesday, according to Cox's Bazar's Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Shamsuddoza.

The elderly man had been undergoing treatment at the isolation centre of Medicine Sans Frontiers' hospital adjoined with the refugee camp after testing positive for COVID-19 on May 21, said Dr Abu Toha Bhuiyan, health coordinator of the refugee relief and repatriation commissioner's office.

"His sample was tested at Cox's Bazar Medical College Hospital and the result came back positive on May 21. He was subsequently transferred to the isolation centre," he said.

At least 29 Rohingya refugees have tested positive for the coronavirus but no fatalities had been reported until now.

Bangladesh has sheltered more than 1 million refugees from Myanmar and most of them live in the camps in Cox’s Bazar.

The camps were put on lockdown along with entire Cox’s Bazar district on Mar 11 after Bangladesh had reported the first coronavirus cases.

International organisations have expressed concerns over the risk of an outbreak at the crammed camps.