Bangladesh announces 7-day countrywide lockdown from June 28

The Bangladesh government on Friday announced a weeklong countrywide ‘strict lockdown’ from Monday to contain the ongoing surge in Covid infections.

The further details of the government directive in this regard will be released by the Cabinet Division today, said a handout issued by the Press Information Department on the day.

It said that the strict lockdown would be enforced across the country for seven days from June 28.

During the period all government and non-government offices will remain closed except the emergency services. 

Movement of all but emergency vehicles, including ambulances, will also remain suspended.

No one shall get out of home without emergency needs while the media will be out the purview of the restrictions, the handout added.

The announcement of the strict lockdown came amid countrywide restrictions on public movement and activities, in force till July 15, which were widely violated, with all government, semi-government, autonomous and non-government offices, banks and financial institutions staying open.

On Friday Bangladesh reported its second highest single-day Covid death toll of 108 after the disease broke out in the country in March 2020.

Earlier, the government on June 16 extended the countrywide restrictions for the 10th time, which began on April 5, till July 15 in the wake of the new surge in Covid cases. 

Besides, the Cabinet Division on Monday in an order said that all public activities in general, including public movement, in the districts of Manikganj, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Madaripur, Rajbari and Gopalganj would remain banned from 6:00am on June 22 to June 30 midnight in view of the worsening Covid situation.

Lastly on Thursday, the technical advisory committee on Covid-19 unanimously recommended at least a 14-day complete ‘shutdown’ across the country to contain the soaring coronavirus outbreak.

State minister for public administration Farhad Hossain, too, told reporters on Thursday night that the recommendation was rational and the government was observing the situation.

Against this backdrop, the number of travellers to and from, especially from, the capital and adjacent districts increased on the Padma channels on Friday.

Many said that they were headed for their village home as the authorities were considering a ‘complete shutdown’.

Hundreds of pedestrians were seen crossing the river by ferries on the Shimulia–Banglabazar, Aricha–Kazirhat and Paturia–Daulatdia routes throughout the day.

Meanwhile, people continued to enter and leave the capital by walking through the Gabtoli point as inter-district buses remained out of service.

A similar situation was seen at the Signboard point through which people from Narayanganj entered the capital on foot and by various non-public transports.

As usual, people in general continued violating the ongoing restrictions without maintaining social distances and wearing masks properly or not wearing masks at all due to a lax monitoring.

The New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that since Friday morning hundreds of people had been seen crossing the Padma River both from Shimulia and Banglabazar terminals violating restrictions by trucks, CNG-run autos and easy bikes.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation assistant manager (commercial) at the Shimulia terminal Faisal Ahmed on Friday said that currently 14 ferries were operating on the route to transport only emergency and goods-carrying vehicles.

Passengers were getting on the ferries defying the restrictions, he added.

Mawa traffic police in-charge Zakir Hossain said that though they put check posts in front of the terminal to prevent people from coming they were coming anyway.

They were coming fearing a possible shutdown, he added.

Munshiganj sadar traffic police in-charge Bazlur Rahman said that they had seized some autos in the town while launch services between Narayanganj and Munshiganj have remained closed since Tuesday.

The New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that passengers on foot crowded the Aricha and Paturia terminals also from north-western districts to go to Dhaka, Nabinagar, Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur and Tongi.

They left the terminals by CNG autos, cars, motorcycles and microbuses by paying much higher than bus fares and changed transports at differnet points to reach destinations. 

A few hundred trucks were seen stranded at Paturia in the morning, which were waiting to cross the river.

News Courtesy-https://www.newagebd.net/article/141919/bangladesh-announces-7-day-countrywide-lockdown-from-june-28