As scientists across the globe grapple to find a cure for coronavirus that has claimed nearly 5000 lives, two persons in Bangladesh have been jailed for two years for selling COVID-19 "vaccines", a media report said on Friday.
Nazrul Islam Rubel, 27, a native of Mymensingh district, about 115 kilometres from Dhaka, advertised the "vaccines" through a loudspeaker at Ganda union in Netrokona district throughout Wednesday and Thursday, police said.
Rashedul Islam, 35, belonging from the same district, started selling the "medicines" at Paharpur Eidgah ground at Ganda on Thursday afternoon, Kendua Police chief Mohammad Rasheduzzaman was quoted as saying by bdnews24.
The police arrested the duo and recovered the "magical ayurvedic type medicines" from them, he said.
The two were sentenced to two years in prison by Kendua Upazila Nirbahi officer and executive magistrate Al Imran Ruhul Islam, the report said.
The deadly coronavirus virus that reportedly originated in Wuhan city in China in December has claimed 4,925 lives and infected 131,500 people across 116 countries and territories.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday characterised the COVID-19 outbreak as a "pandemic" and expressed deep concern over its "alarming levels" of "spread, severity, as well as inaction".