BSS, Dhaka: Streets in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka have apparently taken a deserted look as the country started a 7-day lockdown on Monday, aiming to contain the second wave of Covid-19.
A small number of private cars, some rickshaws and auto-rickshaws were seen plying the streets in the morning.
As government, autonomous and private offices were allowed to operate with ‘limited manpower’, many were seen hiring rickshaws and auto-rickshaws to reach their offices.
Rehana Begum, an employee of a private office in Motijheel area and a resident of Rampura area, said, “I had to hire an auto-rickshaw at a much higher fare to reach my office today and it will be difficult for me to spend such amount of fare every day.”
However, shops and shopping malls have been kept closed as per the government instruction to enforce the lockdown.
Kitchen markets were seen open in different areas but the number of buyers was relatively thin.
Expressing his worry over the lockdown Haris Mia, a day- labourer, said, “The bleak days of the previous year have returned again in our life, there’s no one to think about us. Hunger will grip us if the lockdown continues.”
The main objective of the lockdown is to control unnecessary public movements and gatherings with stronger monitoring by the members of law enforcement agencies and thus contain the virus transmission.
It is the first official lockdown in Bangladesh to tackle the deadly coronavirus. On March 26 last year, the government had declared general holidays along with a transport shutdown instead of enforcing lockdown as the country was witnessing the surge in coronavirus transmission.
As the country has been experiencing record-breaking Covid cases for the past few days, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday announced to impose a weeklong countrywide lockdown.
Most offices and factories will remain open during the period, but the employees will work in shifts maintaining health safety rules and government guidelines.
Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) issued an 18-point directive on March 29 to prevent the transmission of the virus.
Restrictions on movement/activities
The Cabinet Division on Sunday issued a gazette notification imposing restrictions on the movement of people and other activities for seven days in a bid to improve the situation and enforce the lockdown.
According to the gazette, all modes of public transport (road, river, rail and domestic flights) will remain suspended during the period.
Emergency services, carrying of goods, production, overseas passengers and returnees will remain out of the purview of the restriction.
The offices, staffers and vehicles of the organisations providing emergency services, including law enforcement, relief distribution, health services, power, water, gas, fire services, port activities, telephone, and postal services are also out of the restriction ambit.
All the government offices, non-government, autonomous, private offices and court will be allowed to carry a limited number of employees with their own vehicles to perform emergency duties.
Industries and factories will remain open while the ongoing construction works will continue.
The respective industries must take measures to carry their employees in their own vehicles.
BGMEA and BKMEA have been asked to take necessary steps to provide medical services to workers in industrial areas.
People’s movement will be restricted from 6 pm to 6 am, and no one will be allowed to go outside except for emergency needs (to purchase medicines, daily essentials, to take medical services and burial/ cremation of dead bodies etc).
Hotels and restaurants can operate with takeaway/online services only. No one will be allowed to have food sitting in hotels or restaurants.
All shopping malls and markets will remain closed during this period but online services will be allowed. All shop employees must follow the proper health guidelines.
Daily essential items can be sold and purchased from open spaces from 8 am to 4 pm to maintain health protocols. Local administrations and the authorities concerned will ensure it.
Besides, the Armed Forces Division will take necessary steps for establishing field hospitals at suitable places.
District and field administrations will take measures to enforce the directives in a coordinated way. Law enforcement agencies will strengthen patrol and take legal action against those who will violate the directives.
The authorities concerned also decided to suspend domestic flights and passenger train and launch services during the lockdown.
Banks will operate from 10am to 12:30pm for general transactions during the lockdown period from April 5 to 11. If necessary, they can remain open up to 2pm for performing other required activities.
Record-breaking Covid surge in Bangladesh
Bangladesh registered 7,087 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours until Sunday morning which is the highest number of infections since the start of the pandemic.
Besides, the coronavirus fatalities rose to 9,266 with 53 new deaths during the period. The mortality rate fell to 1.45 on Sunday from Saturday’s 1.46 percent.
