By , KOLKATA/DHAKA (Reuters) - A powerful cyclone pounded eastern India and Bangladesh on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and destroying thousands of homes, officials said, leaving authorities struggling to mount relief efforts amid a surging coronavirus outbreak.The populous Indian state of West Bengal took the brunt of Cyclone Amphan, which barrelled out of the Bay of Bengal with gusting winds of up to 185 km per hour (115 mph) and a storm surge of around five metres.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at least 10 people had died in the state, and two districts been...…By , KOLKATA/DHAKA (Reuters) - A powerful cyclone pounded eastern India and Bangladesh on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and destroying thousands of homes, officials said, leaving authorities struggling to mount relief efforts amid a surging coronavirus outbreak.The populous Indian state of West Bengal took the brunt of Cyclone Amphan, which barrelled out of the Bay of Bengal with gusting winds of up to 185 km per hour (115 mph) and a storm surge of around five metres.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at least 10 people had died in the state, and two districts been...WW…

By , NEW DELHI/DHAKA (Reuters) - The chief minister of Delhi state said on Saturday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to extend a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but the federal government did not confirm this decision.Modi’s government said only that it was still considering states’ requests and that they mostly wanted a two-week extension to the 21-day lockdown, which is due to end on Tuesday.Graphic - Coronavirus: Knowns and unknowns - Modi earlier held a video conference call with several state chief ministers to decide on the future...…By , NEW DELHI/DHAKA (Reuters) - The chief minister of Delhi state said on Saturday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to extend a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but the federal government did not confirm this decision.Modi’s government said only that it was still considering states’ requests and that they mostly wanted a two-week extension to the 21-day lockdown, which is due to end on Tuesday.Graphic - Coronavirus: Knowns and unknowns - Modi earlier held a video conference call with several state chief ministers to decide on the future...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comDHAKA, April 17 (Reuters) - At least five people were killed and dozens injured in Bangladesh on Saturday after police opened fire on a crowd of workers protesting to demand unpaid wages and a pay rise at a Chinese-backed power plant, officials and police said.Police opened fire after about 2,000 of the protesters began hurling bricks and stones at officers at the construction site of the coal-fired plant in the southeastern city of Chittagong, local police official Azizul Islam told Reuters.Four protesters died at the scene and another...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comDHAKA, April 17 (Reuters) - At least five people were killed and dozens injured in Bangladesh on Saturday after police opened fire on a crowd of workers protesting to demand unpaid wages and a pay rise at a Chinese-backed power plant, officials and police said.Police opened fire after about 2,000 of the protesters began hurling bricks and stones at officers at the construction site of the coal-fired plant in the southeastern city of Chittagong, local police official Azizul Islam told Reuters.Four protesters died at the scene and another...WW…

By COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - India gave 1.2 million free doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Bangladesh on Saturday, its foreign minister said, as Dhaka urged New Delhi to maintain a regular supply of shots to battle the pandemic.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the offering at the end of a two-day tour of Bangladesh to celebrate its 50th independence anniversary. The trip also marked Modi’s first foreign travel since the outbreak of the pandemic.Bangladesh signed a deal in November with the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, for 30...…By COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - India gave 1.2 million free doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Bangladesh on Saturday, its foreign minister said, as Dhaka urged New Delhi to maintain a regular supply of shots to battle the pandemic.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the offering at the end of a two-day tour of Bangladesh to celebrate its 50th independence anniversary. The trip also marked Modi’s first foreign travel since the outbreak of the pandemic.Bangladesh signed a deal in November with the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, for 30...WW…

By COX’S BAZAR (Reuters) - Hundreds of members of a hardline Islamist group attacked Hindu temples and a train in eastern Bangladesh on Sunday, police and a local journalist said, as violence spread across the country in the wake of a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Local police and doctors have said at least 11 protesters have been killed since Friday in clashes with police during demonstrations organised by Islamist groups against the Indian leader’s visit. Violence has raged on since Modi’s departure as anger has swelled over the deaths.Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday to...…By COX’S BAZAR (Reuters) - Hundreds of members of a hardline Islamist group attacked Hindu temples and a train in eastern Bangladesh on Sunday, police and a local journalist said, as violence spread across the country in the wake of a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Local police and doctors have said at least 11 protesters have been killed since Friday in clashes with police during demonstrations organised by Islamist groups against the Indian leader’s visit. Violence has raged on since Modi’s departure as anger has swelled over the deaths.Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday to...WW…

By COX’S BAZAR (Reuters) - Hundreds of members of a hardline Islamist group attacked Hindu temples and a train in eastern Bangladesh on Sunday, police and a local journalist said, as violence spread across the country in the wake of a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Local police and doctors have said at least 11 protesters have been killed since Friday in clashes with police during demonstrations organised by Islamist groups against the Indian leader’s visit. Violence has raged on since Modi’s departure as anger has swelled over the deaths.Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday to...…By COX’S BAZAR (Reuters) - Hundreds of members of a hardline Islamist group attacked Hindu temples and a train in eastern Bangladesh on Sunday, police and a local journalist said, as violence spread across the country in the wake of a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Local police and doctors have said at least 11 protesters have been killed since Friday in clashes with police during demonstrations organised by Islamist groups against the Indian leader’s visit. Violence has raged on since Modi’s departure as anger has swelled over the deaths.Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday to...WW…

By COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - India gave 1.2 million free doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Bangladesh on Saturday, its foreign minister said, as Dhaka urged New Delhi to maintain a regular supply of shots to battle the pandemic.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the offering at the end of a two-day tour of Bangladesh to celebrate its 50th independence anniversary. The trip also marked Modi’s first foreign travel since the outbreak of the pandemic.Bangladesh signed a deal in November with the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, for 30...…By COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - India gave 1.2 million free doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Bangladesh on Saturday, its foreign minister said, as Dhaka urged New Delhi to maintain a regular supply of shots to battle the pandemic.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the offering at the end of a two-day tour of Bangladesh to celebrate its 50th independence anniversary. The trip also marked Modi’s first foreign travel since the outbreak of the pandemic.Bangladesh signed a deal in November with the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, for 30...WW…

By DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive with the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday, aiming to inoculate 3.5 million people in the first month.Slideshow The south Asian country is seeking to inoculate 80% of its population of around 170 million, with each person getting two doses administered four weeks apart.However the government has nearly halved its target for the first month from 6 million people as only a little over 328,000 people had registered for the vaccine by Saturday.Bangladesh has received 5 million of the 30 million doses...…By DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive with the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday, aiming to inoculate 3.5 million people in the first month.Slideshow The south Asian country is seeking to inoculate 80% of its population of around 170 million, with each person getting two doses administered four weeks apart.However the government has nearly halved its target for the first month from 6 million people as only a little over 328,000 people had registered for the vaccine by Saturday.Bangladesh has received 5 million of the 30 million doses...WW…

By DHAKA (Reuters) - India’s Bharat Biotech has applied to conduct trials in Bangladesh for its coronavirus vaccine recently approved for emergency use at home, a senior official at Bangladesh’s main medical research body told Reuters.If allowed to go ahead, this would be the first trial of any coronavirus vaccine in Bangladesh and could give the densely-populated country of more than 160 million faster access to the shot for mass use.The vaccine, developed with the Indian Council of Medical Research, was given the green light for restricted use in India this month without any efficacy data...…By DHAKA (Reuters) - India’s Bharat Biotech has applied to conduct trials in Bangladesh for its coronavirus vaccine recently approved for emergency use at home, a senior official at Bangladesh’s main medical research body told Reuters.If allowed to go ahead, this would be the first trial of any coronavirus vaccine in Bangladesh and could give the densely-populated country of more than 160 million faster access to the shot for mass use.The vaccine, developed with the Indian Council of Medical Research, was given the green light for restricted use in India this month without any efficacy data...WW…

By DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh will move a second group of Rohingya refugees to a low-lying island in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, officials said, despite calls by rights groups to stop the relocation on safety grounds.More than 1,100 Rohingya refugees, members of a Muslim minority who have fled Myanmar, will be moved from a refugee camp near the Myanmar border to Bhasan Char island, two officials with the knowledge of the issue said.Authorities moved the first batch of more than 1,600 early this month.“Buses and trucks are ready to carry them and their belongings to Chittagong port...…By DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh will move a second group of Rohingya refugees to a low-lying island in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, officials said, despite calls by rights groups to stop the relocation on safety grounds.More than 1,100 Rohingya refugees, members of a Muslim minority who have fled Myanmar, will be moved from a refugee camp near the Myanmar border to Bhasan Char island, two officials with the knowledge of the issue said.Authorities moved the first batch of more than 1,600 early this month.“Buses and trucks are ready to carry them and their belongings to Chittagong port...WW…