Ekattor TV’s producer Rifat Sultana dies of COVID-19

Bangladesh desk:  Ekattor Television’s associate news producer Rifat Sultana died of COVID-19 on Friday afternoon, hours after giving birth to a baby in the morning at a hospital in Dhaka. She was 33.

She worked at Ekattor Television for long 11 years.

Rifat Sultana, who was a pregnant mother, had been undergoing treatment at Impulse Hospital at Tejgaon in Dhaka being infected with COVID-19 for a week. On Friday morning, she gave birth to a baby girl at the hospital. The newborn has been kept at the Neonatal Unit of Evercare Hospital. The condition of the newborn is also not good, said Ekattor Television’s producer Mazharul Masum.

He said Rifat died at the Impulse Hospital in the afternoon.

Her mother-in-law has been undergoing treatment at the same hospital for a week being infected with coronavirus. Besides, her husband Nazmul Islam, also an associate producer of Ekattor Television, has been undergoing treatment at Mugda Hospital being infected with COVID-19 over the last couple of days.

Rifat tested positive for COVID-19 ten days ago and had been suffering from some pregnancy related complications.

It is also learnt that Rifat’s left two twin babies who are two years old. A pall of gloom has descended not only on Rifat’s family but also on her collegue following her unexpected death.

A total of 35 journalists and media workers including Rifat have died of COVID-19, while 14 others have died with COVID-19 like symptoms.