A massive coronavirus prayer session with tens of thousands of devotees sparked an outcry in Bangladesh on Wednesday as the South Asian nation reported its first death from the COVID-19 pandemic.
About 10,000 Muslims gathered in an open field in Raipur to pray “healing verses” from the Koran to rid the country of the coronavirus, Raipur Police Chief Tota Miah said.
“They held the Khatme Shifa prayers after dawn to free the country from the coronavirus,” Miah said.
Photo: AFP
Organizers claimed that the number of worshipers was 25,000.
Organizers did not get permission from authorities to hold the session, Miah said.
Photographs of the gathering were widely shared on social media, with commenters slamming the massive rally.
Bangladeshi authorities have already shut schools and asked locals to avoid large gatherings in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
“Unbelievable how they even have done it without notifying the police? They will be held responsible if anything happens to the people in the region,” Abdur Rahman wrote on Facebook.
Despite the authorities’ appeal to avoid crowded public areas, many took the opportunity to head to tourism sites.
Police said that they had to close two beaches, including one at Cox’s Bazar, which is home to nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said a lockdown might be required to contain the virus.
“If necessary, Bangladesh will be shut down. It’ll be enforced where necessary. People must be saved first. We’ll do everything for that,” he told reporters.
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