Anxious lockdown from today

In a bid to control the alarming Covid-19 situation after logging the highest number of single-day fatalities and cases in two consecutive days and also over 100 Covid-19 deaths for four days in a week, Bangladesh government on Wednesday announced a one-week nationwide tougher lockdown from 1-7 July.

The government prepares to deploy personnel of the Bangladesh Army alongside police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to ensure proper implementation of the lockdown and adherence to government regulations. And people will not be allowed to leave their houses except for emergencies and on top of that no movement passes will be issued like the last time, according to the decision taken by the government.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Bangladesh, the country has gone through a general holiday, restrictions on public movements and so-called lockdowns or strict lockdowns to curb the spread of Covid-19. From March 2020 till now, the government of Bangladesh has closed down offices, shops and transports, imposed restrictions on public movements several times and then reopened everything after a certain period of time.

The country is going to see that kind of lockdown from today which the people saw last year on March 23, when the first countrywide general holiday was announced. The major difference between that general holiday and this “strict lockdown” is then all things were shut…but not now. This time the international flights are open. 

Now, we can have a glance of the lockdown restrictions, which to enforce from today:

According to the Cabinet Division’s gazette notification that issued on Wednesday imposing certain rules and regulations. The rules are: * All government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices will be closed; * Road, rail and waterways public transport (including domestic aircraft) and all types of motorised vehicles will be closed; * All shops including shopping malls / markets will be closed; * All tourist centres, resorts, community centres and recreation centres will be closed; * All public gatherings such as social (wedding ceremonies, birthdays, picnics, parties, etc), political and religious ceremonies will be closed; * The Supreme Court of Bangladesh will issue necessary directions to the courts; * The Bangladesh Bank will issue necessary instructions to ensure banking services; * Law enforcement and other emergency services such as agricultural elements (fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, equipment etc), crops and transportation, relief distribution, health services, covid-19 vaccination, electricity, water, gas/petroleum, fire service, telephone and internet (government- private), media (print and electronic media), private security systems, post, bank, pharmacy and pharmaceuticals and other emergency and essential products and services related offices, their employees and vehicles can move showing their institutional identity cards; * Trucks / lorry / covered vans / cargo vessels used for transportation of goods will be exempted from the ban; * Ports (air, sea, naval and land) and related offices will be exempted from the ban; * Industries and factories will be open and self-managed following health rules; * Food shops and hotels-restaurants will be open for takeaway/online from 8am to 8 pm; * Kitchen markets materials and daily necessities can be bought and sold in the open from 9am to 5pm in accordance with hygiene rules. Market authorities/local administration will confirm the matter; * Except for absolute necessity (medicine and daily essential products, treatment, burial/funeral etc), no one can go outside; * Movements will be allowed for Covid-19 vaccine candidates upon presenting vaccine card; * International flights will continue and passengers will be able to travel via car by showing their international travel tickets; * The Ministry of Religious Affairs will issue instructions regarding prayers in the mosque following hygiene rules. * Under the “Army in Aid to Civil Power Act”, the Armed Forces Division will deploy the required number of troops to ensure effective patrolling at the field level. The district magistrate will confirm the matter in consultation with the local army commander; * The district magistrate will hold a coordination meeting with the concerned officers at the district level to determine the jurisdiction, method, and time of patrolling of the army, BGB, police, RAB and Ansar; * The Ministry of Public Administration will ensure the appointment of the required number of Executive Magistrates at the field level; * The Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will allow the district administration and the police force to take legal action on his behalf.

Army to be deployed

The government has decided to deploy members of the Armed Forces, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Battalion Police to enforce seven-day countrywide strict restrictions. 

According to government’s notification, the Armed Forces Division will deploy the required number of troops, under the “Army in Aid to Civil Power Act”, to ensure effective patrolling at the field level. The district magistrate will confirm the matter in consultation with the local army commander. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Administration will ensure the appointment of the required number of Executive Magistrates at the field level. This time, however, there will be no movement passes, according to Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam.

Meanwhile, Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard, along with officials from other law enforcement agencies, will be deployed in the coastal areas of the country to enforce the weeklong strict lockdown starting from Thursday. 

Lt Commander Amirul Haque, media officer of the force, issued a media release in this regard this evening. 

DMP chief: Lockdown violators will be arrested, sued

Anyone found to be violating the strict Covid-19 lockdown rules and restrictions will be arrested and sued, warned Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mohammad Shafiqul Islam on Wednesday.

"If anyone leaves the house without any emergency during the lockdown starting from Thursday, they will be arrested and sued under Section 269 of the Penal Code," he said at a press briefing held at the DMP Media Centre in the capital. He said the section includes a maximum jail term of six months and a fine.

"This time the police will take tough action against the violators. We’ve preparations to arrest 5,000 people or more a day from the capital if needed. Then we’ll send them to jail and produce before the court," he added. Mobile courts will hand down the immediate punishments to the violators after questioning them, said the DMP chief.

Kitchen markets to remain open from 9am-5pm

During the lockdown, kitchen markets materials and daily necessities can be bought and sold in the open from 9am to 5pm in accordance with hygiene rules.

Banks to remain open from 10am-1.30pm

Bangladesh Bank has asked all banks to operate on a limited scale for seven days during the strict lockdown throughout 1-7 July. Banks will remain open from 10am to 1:30pm to facilitate transactions, said a notification from the central bank on Wednesday. However, the bank authorities are allowed to conduct internal official activities until 3pm. In the circular issued on Tuesday, the central bank’s Department of Offsite Supervision (DOS) said banks will remain close on 1-3 July for bank holiday and weekly holidays.

CAAB suspends all domestic flights

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has decided to suspend all domestic flights in Bangladesh from 1-7 July. It issued a press release on Wednesday in this regard. Medevac/humanitarian/relief flights and cargo flights will remain out of the suspension. Besides, international flights will operate as scheduled previously. Passengers, crew, equipment, and aircraft must follow the standard disinfection, sanitisation, and social distancing procedures.

Children, elderly and the ailing asked not to attend prayers

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued a directive asking worshippers to follow the necessary health guidelines while offering prayers at mosques to contain Covid-19 transmission. It also asked children, elderly, ailing people and those providing care to patients to not join the public prayers at mosques.

The ministry issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday while the country battles the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the notification, every mosque should have soaps, water or sanitizer for cleaning hands. Face masks are also mandatory for all worshipers. It also advised worshippers to complete Sunnah prayers and ablution at their homes before reaching the mosques and to wash hands for at least 20 minutes.

No floor mats will be allowed in the mosques and mosques must be disinfected before holding each prayer. Worshippers will bring their personal prayer mats (Jaynamaz) and head covers, and have to maintain social distancing while offering the prayers.

Imams and management body of the mosques will ensure the implementation of the regulation issued by the ministry, the notification said, adding that local administration will take legal action against the people who violate the direction.

The last year’s general holiday was extended six times till May 30, 2020. On April 2, 2020, the general holiday was extended till April 9 for the first time. The second time it was extended till April 14.  As April 14 was Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bangla New Year, people were entitled to a government holiday on that day as well. Then, for a third time, the general holiday was extended till April 25, 2020. Within a few days the government again extended the general holiday till May 5. This time around the garment factories started reopening with a limited number of workers. Then the government again extended the general holiday till May 5 first, later till May 16.