Dhaka University's pharmacy department has started making hand sanitiser following an ongoing shortage of the product at stores due to coronavirus panic.

Teachers and students of the department are making hand sanitiser for students of 18 residential halls at DU. Sanitisers will be provided to the students for free.

About 200 bottles have been made in the last two days, sources at Dhaka University told The Daily Star.

The department is planning to make 500 more bottles at their lab.

Photo: Collected

"Our department has planned to produce sanitiser with its own funding. Teachers and students have been working on it under the leadership of Associate Prof Abdul Muhit," Professor Dr Sitesh Chandra Bachar, chairman of the department, told The Daily Star.

The move comes in the wake of a worldwide streak of panic buying over coronavirus fears. People are buying hand sanitiser, masks, toilet paper and liquid soap in bulk.

DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman appreciated the initiative and said a few teachers met him two days back and briefed him on the initiative.

He said the university administration will take necessary measures to prioritise the health care of students.