Nation sees 14-day strict lockdown

The ‘strict restrictions’ on public movement and businesses resumed Friday morning for another 14 days across Bangladesh amid a huge crowd of Dhaka-bound people on roads. The strict lockdown will continue till August 5.

The government imposed the restriction in a bid to contain the surge of Covid infection and deaths in the country as the country was, for the past few weeks, reporting Covid deaths of around 200 people and thousands of cases almost every day.

Though the roads in Dhaka were empty, thousands of people reached Dhaka in the morning by different modes of transports from distant districts.

The Eid-ul-Azha holidaymakers were seen walking to their destinations in the capital or waiting for any transport in Sadarghat launch terminal, Gulistan, Kanchpur, Aminbazar-Gabtoli, Jatrabari and Abdullahpur areas in Dhaka.

As the restrictions began at 6:00am on Friday when the people got down from launches or buses, they did not get any transport to reach their destinations.

Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and army personnel will be deployed in the field for strictly impose the lockdown restrictions during the time.

“Offices and export oriented industries including Readymade Garment (RMG) factories will remain shut during the lockdown”.

Earlier, the cabinet division had suspended the corona restrictions for nine days from July 14 due to holy Eid-ul Azha festival.

To contain further spreading of corona virus infection, a 23-point restriction will be enforced with an instruction of closure of all government, semi-government, autonomous, private offices along with travel curbs on road, rail, river and domestic aviation services during this time.

All kinds of shopping malls, markets along with all sorts of tourism centers, resorts, community centers and recreation centers also will remain closed under the new restrictions.

Even all the industries will remain closed and all sort of gatherings including birthday, picnic, party, social, political and religious functions which attract crowd will remain suspended.

The Supreme Court will issue necessary instructions for the respective courts. Bank, insurance companies and financial institutions at the same time will issue necessary directives for operating those organizations.

The new restrictions have asked all government employees to remain stay at their respective working stations and complete their official works on virtual platforms.

Officials of the Law enforcement agencies, emergency services like agricultural products and ingredients, food, food transportation, selling, distribution, health care services, Covid-19 vaccination, NID distributions, revenue earning activities, power, water, gas, fire services, telephone, internet, mass media, private security system, post, bank, visa providing activities, social safety programme, pharmacy and pharmaceuticals are allowed to travel after showing their respective identity cards.

Emergency cargo transportations including truck, lorry, covered van, river vessel, cargo train, ferry, all land ports and its adjacent offices will be out of the purview of the restrictions.

But, the kitchen markets and the daily essentials shops would be open from 9 am to 3pm following proper health safety guidelines. The kitchen market authorities and the local administration will ensure the matter.

“None is allowed to go outside the homes except any emergency like medicines and essentials purchase, health care services, funerals of the dead body,” according to the restrictions.

Food shops, hotel and restaurants are allowed to sell food through online from 8 in the morning to 8 at night.

International flights will remain in operation and the foreign flight passengers are allowed to travel by showing their international travel ticket.

The religious affairs ministry will give instructions for prayer in the mosque with due corona health guidelines.

The armed forces division will deploy necessary number of troops to ensure effective patrolling at the field level under the rules of army in aid to the civil administration. The district magistrate will ensure this after communicating with the local military commander.

The public administration ministry will ensure appointment of necessary number of executive magistrates at the field level.

District administration and the police forces will be given necessary legal power by the director general of the directorate of the health services under the infectious disease (prevention, control and elimination) act 2018.