ICCB to be turned into Covid-19 hospital

Bashundhara Group has given the government the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the city's Kuril area to be converted into a hospital to treat Covid-19 patients.

The group, one of the country's largest conglomerates, handed over a letter to PM's Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus, who accepted it on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in this regard when its Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir gave him a cheque of Tk 10 crore at the Prime Minister's Office to fight the spread of coronavirus in the country.

Mohammad Abu Tayeb, adviser (media) of the organisation, said Hasina joined the cheque-giving ceremony via video conferencing from the Gono Bhaban.

Tayeb told The Daily Star that the PM accepted the offer.

He added that at least 5,000 beds could be set up in the ICCB and a business centre there for emergency use.

According to him, the group will hand over the ICCB and the business centre to the army to convert those into a hospital immediately.

Tayeb said Bashundhara Group would provide necessary help to the government in setting up the makeshift hospital.

The ICCB is the only integrated and mega facility in the country that was built with a view to redefine the scope and standard of domestic service industry. It came into operation on January 1, 2015.

Tayeb said his organisation was also distributing relief materials, including rice, flour, oil, and lentil, to the low-income people and it would continue until the crisis was over.

SOURCE : The Daily Star