Dhaka, March 25 -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to address the nation a day before Independence Day amid fears of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The speech will be broadcast on state-run media at 7:30pm on Wednesday, Hasina's press aide Ihsanul Karim told bdnews24.com.

As the world continues to go under lockdown to battle the pandemic, Hasina is expected to outline measures to contain the disease and its impact on the economy in her speech.

"We cannot take any impulsive decision now. We have to take comprehensive preparations and plan when to do what," Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Mar 23, when he was asked whether Hasina could declare a lockdown in her speech.

On Wednesday, the global death toll from t...