Dhaka has recorded dramatic falls in mortality rates after a nationwide lockdown was imposed to fight the new coronavirus.

All over the world, mortality rates are being scrutinised to determine the true impact of the Covid-19, which emerged in China late last year and is known to have infected more than 2.7 million people globally, with nearly 190,000 deaths.

While death rates in some countries have risen sharply in recent weeks, in Bangladesh the opposite seems to be happening.

“We had conducted

“We are now conducting autopsy of 1 or 2 dead bodies a day against 5 to 6 bodies previously — at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue It’s very surprising for us ,” said Mohammad Sekendar, Mortuary Assistant of DMCH.

Dhaka, home to some 22 million people, saw deaths fall by about 70% in the last 30 days compared with the period of 2019, according to municipal data.

FEWER ACCIDENTS

Sheikh Hasina imposed a lockdown of Bangladesh  180 million people on March 25 in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected some 4,186 people, killing 127 of them, according to the latest figures.

Bangladesh has tested about 25,000 people, meaning some 4% were positive. In the United Sates, about 18% of tests are positive, according to the COVID Tracking project.

Bangladesh apparently lower death rates stands in contrast to what has been seen elsewhere.

The Netherlands recorded about 2,000 more deaths than normal in the first week of April, for example, while in Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta the number of funerals rose sharply in March.

Some towns in Italy also saw a jump in recorded deaths.

Bangladesh’s doctors, officials and crematorium employees suspect the lower death rate is in large part attributable to fewer road and rail accidents.

“Road accident cases, and even patients with alcohol or drug abuse, stroke and heart attacks have been coming in fewer numbers,” said Dr Abdul Hamid, a senior physician told Business Mirror.

Accidents on Bangladesh chaotic roads killed more than 5,227 people in 2019, according to official data.

The coronavirus lockdown, which is due to end on May 5, will cut road deaths by at least 50% this year compared with 2019, a Illius Kanchan, Chairman of Nirapadh Sharak Chai , said.

With passenger trains halted, fatalities from all-too-common rail accidents have also plunged. In Dhaka alone, for example, more than three people typically die every day on the rail network

Besides, 64 people were killed while 157 inured and 110 went missing in 30 waterways accidents last year. But this month no single incident of waterways accident was reported

FEWER MURDERS TOO?

DMP’s Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman told earlier that overall recorded crimes have decreased dramatically in the capital. “I think this is the first time since independence that crimes are this low,” he said. Following the government’s directive, most of the city dwellers are staying inside their homes and premises. So there are no victims on the streets, he said.

DC Rahman said members of both law enforcement agencies and Armed Forces are on the streets. Besides, if any offender tries to flee after committing a crime, they will be caught soon as police can rush to the spot immediately due to empty streets, he added.

No single incident of rape, gang rape, stealing, mugging and other petty crimes was recorded at many Police Station in Dhaka since March 26 because most people are staying at their respective homes fearing infection of coronavirus.