The number of COVID-19 infections among ministers, lawmakers and bureaucrats is increasing noticeably with the authorities fearing that the situation might turn worse in the upcoming winter.

On November 25, Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and foreign secretary Masud bin Momen tested COVID-19 positive.

They took the COVID-19 test ahead of an air trip set for early Wednesday to join a foreign ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Niger.

On November 20, state minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam was detected COVID-19 positive.

On November 15, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Public Security Division senior secretary Mostafa Kamal Uddin tested positive for the infection.

The same day state minister for youth and sports Zahid Hasan Russell tested positive for the novel virus.

On November 12, Jatiya Sangsad whip and ruling Awami League organising secretary Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapon was found infected with the coronavirus.

On November 11, AL joint general secretary and Kushtia-3 constituency lawmaker Mahbubul Alam Hanif tested positive for COVID-19.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina in recent cabinet meetings said that strict measures should be taken to check further spread of the coronavirus as experts feared a second wave of COVID-19 infections in the winter.

On November 7, six AL lawmakers were detected positive for COVID-19 as  they underwent the test in order to participate in the Mujib Year special session of the Jatiya Sangsad .

They are Dhaka-10 lawmaker Shafiul Islam, Bagerhat-3 lawmaker and deputy minister Habibun Nahar, Naogaon-2 lawmaker Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Pabna-4 lawmaker Nuruzzaman Biswas, women seat-42 lawmaker Nadira Yeasmin Jolly and women seat-41 lawmaker Tahmina Begum.

On November 8, six other lawmakers were detected positive for COVID-19 in the mandatory test for attending the JS session.

They are Mokbul Hossain of Pabna-3,  Sadek Khan of Dhaka-13,  Mujibul Haque of  Kishoreganj-3,  Sheikh Helal Uddin of Bagerhat-1, Motahar Hossain of Lalmonirhat-1,  and Habibun Nahar of Bagerhat-3.

On November 5, expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmad tested positive for COVID-19.

Imran’s wife and former pro-vice chancellor of Dhaka University Nazrin Ahmed and his private secretary Ahmad Kabir also tested coronavirus positive.

Before November, information minister Hasan Mahmud, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Huq, Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs minister Bir Bahadur U Shwe Sing, environment minister M Shahab Uddin and  state minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury tested positive for COVID-19.

On July 27, lawmaker for Naogaon-6 M Israfil Alam died of pneumonia after contracting COVID-19.

On June 13, AL MP for Sirajganj-1 and former health minister Mohammad Nasim and state minister for religious affairs Sheikh Abdullah died of COVID-19.

On June 29, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque’s wife Laila Arjumand Banu and defence secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury died of COVID-19.