Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh discovered the wave of Novel Coronavirus in the first week of March.The three known cases of Covid-19 were reported on 7 March 2020 by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). Lockdown began with the government declaration of shutdown of all offices and public transportation two weeks later. A collective efforts made by the government and the social organisations to fight against this global epidemic to save lives and humanity. However, a few people make significant difference and set example for the nations.
While the country is practically going through the lockdown situation, cleaners and garbage handlers are remaining stick to their daily schedule, collecting household waste door to door. Around 4500 tons of household waste generated in a single day in the capital Dhaka, while over 21000 cleaners and garbage collectors are waste management. Among them, about 7000 have been registered in Dhaka North and South City Corporations. The rest of the workers are locally engaged through social organizations. These cleaners and garbage collectors who were less priorities in the society are at high risk of viral contagionas
as they do not have any personal protective gearsor any proper training. Cleaning workers are only working with their bare hands.
ICAN, a social development organization stands beside these cleaners and garbage handlers for saving their lives from Covid-19 transmission. The organization is raising the fund through its popular fakebook group and providing the necessary protective equipment, soap along with the relief items to the cleaners and garbage handlers. The initiative has received positive response and prize from the citizen and created huge awareness among cleaning workers.
