Rejaul Karim Byron and Mohiuddin Alamgir

The government yesterday announced a Tk 3,200 crore relief package for the ultra-poor and destitute families and the tourism sector -- segments that were dealt a fresh blow by the latest round of hard lockdown to contain the second wave of Covid-19 cases.

The country would be entering into another two weeks of strict lockdown from July 23, so the latest package would provide some relief to the poor, who were hit the hardest by the global coronavirus pandemic that began in earnest in Bangladesh from March last year.

As many as 9 crore are now in a vulnerable position, according to the Asian Development Bank.

Under the new package, which comes as the country wraps up two weeks of ‘hard’ lockdown today, Tk 450 crore has been allocated to distribute Tk 2,500 each in cash to about 17.2 lakh people.