DHAKA, Bangladesh –
United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller and his team provided essential personal protective equipment (PPE) to Inspector General Prisons Brigadier General AKM Mustafa Kamal Pasha as part of continued U.S. support for Bangladesh’s COVID-19 response efforts. This is the sixth in a series of planned PPE distributions from the United States to Bangladesh. To date, the United States, through multiple agencies, including the U.S. Departments of State, Defense, and Agriculture; USAID; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has provided over $56.5 million in aid to combat COVID-19 in Bangladesh.
The U.S. Embassy-donated equipment delivered today includes 10,000 reusable cloth masks, 200 full Hazardous Materials suits, 50 KN95 surgical masks, 660 200-milliliter bottles of hand sanitizer, 11,000 pairs of surgical gloves, 25 Kg of powdered bleach, 2 disinfectant backpack sprayers, 100 face shields, and 10 infrared thermometers, all of which the United States purchased locally from Bangladeshi companies. The Bangladesh Prison Directorate is a critical partner in safeguarding a vulnerable population against COVID-19 and in Bangladesh’s COVID-19 response, as the Directorate supports the public and Ministry of Health (MoH) initiatives throughout the country. This PPE donation helps ensure corrections officers remain protected while they promote the safety and security of all people living in Bangladesh.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. government, through the U.S. Department of State and USAID alone, has committed more than $1.6 billion worldwide in emergency health, humanitarian, economic, and development assistance specifically aimed at helping governments, international organizations, and NGOs fight the pandemic. U.S. Embassy Dhaka is providing assistance to organizations throughout Bangladesh, building on more than $1 billion in health assistance provided to Bangladesh over the past 20 years. This funding emphasizes the long-term U.S. commitment to helping ensure access for all people in Bangladesh to quality, lifesaving healthcare.
U.S. Embassy Dhaka is proud to donate this essential personal protective equipment (PPE) to Bangladesh Prison corrections officers and staff working at the various institutions across the country. This donation is in addition to previous donations from the U.S. Embassy, including recent contributions to Bangladesh Customs Department officials, Kamalapur Railway General Hospital, USAID’s food security programs, Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh Police Headquarters, and Bangladesh’s Fire Service and Civil Defence. Bangladesh’s prison and other public safety personnel, together with health care workers, customs officials, people who work in grocery stores and pharmacies, journalists, and volunteer organizations perform remarkable acts of service every day; they are genuine heroes. The U.S. remains committed to working in partnership alongside Bangladesh to fight this pandemic, and to further strengthening our countries’ already deep ties.