Migrant workers flee Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh COVID lockdown

A spike in cases has prompted the government to impose a strict lockdown, sparking an exodus from the capital city.

Tens of thousands of migrant workers fled Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Sunday on the eve of a tightened lockdown that will curtail most economic activity and confine people to their homes as coronavirus infections soar. Restrictions on activities and movement have been in place since mid-April as cases and deaths jumped. Infections decreased in May but started to rise again this month, with just over 6,000 daily cases on Thursday and 108 deaths on Friday, according to the health ministry, the highest in more than two months.