The Directorate General of Family Planning warehouse in Mohakhali that stored contraceptives intended for HIV and STD prevention programmes has been severely damaged in a fire on Sunday. The fire broke out at 12:30am and took almost eight hours for firefighters to douse the fire completely. Hanifur Rahman, additional director (drugs and store) of the Directorate, said contraceptives, condoms and other HIV and STD medication was stored at the warehouse for nationwide distribution. There contraceptives were meant to be distributed in 12 brothels in Bangladesh but were being stored at the warehouse as the National AIDS/STD Programme (NASP) ended in November last year. Director General of Health Services Professor Abul Kalam Azad told the Dhaka Tribune that they along with other stakeholders were working on resuming the programme.

Source: Dhaka Tribune April 09, 2017 19:07 UTC