A seven-day lockdown came into effect on Monday across the country as the country saw a sharp rise in the COVID-19 caseloads.
Aiming to halt the spread of the virus, the cabinet division on Sunday issued a circular with an 11-point directive to be followed during the week-long lockdown.
A limited number of vehicles were seen in Farmgate, Dhanmondi, Malibagh, Mowchak of the capital on the first morning of the lockdown.
Offices that were allowed to operate during the lockdown hired rickshaw, auto-rickshaw to bring their staff and some of them used their own cars to reach their destination.
Some buses were also seen operating as they were hired by private companies to carry their employees.
Police were seen patrolling and checking people’s movement at different points, asking whether it was necessary for them to go out.
The cabinet division in its directives asked all public transport services (road, river, railway and domestic flight) to remain suspended.
The directive, however, is not applicable to cargo and emergency services and to the people going abroad or arriving in.
Offices, employees and transports of law enforcement and emergency services such as relief distribution, health service, electricity, water, fuel, fire service, activities at land, sea and river ports, telephone and Internet, telecommunication and others services will be out of these restrictions.
All government/non-government/autonomous offices, courts and private offices can facilitate shuttling of their necessary employees to office, using their own transports on a limited scale, according to the directives.
Industries and factories, including those belonging to BGMEA and the BKMEA, will be in operation. The trade bodies will have to take necessary measures for the treatment of their workers.
It is strictly prohibited to go out of houses without any emergencies (purchase of medicine and daily essentials, medical treatment and burial/cremation etc).
All types of restaurants will remain closed and under any circumstance. Eating food inside restaurants is prohibited. However, takeaway and online sales are allowed.
All shops will remain closed though they can continue selling products online maintaining mandatory health guidelines. No customers can go to markets physically.
Daily commodities and groceries will be sold in open space from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm following health directives.
Bangladesh Bank will issue directives to continue banking activities on a limited scale.
Necessary measures will be taken by the Armed Forces Division to build field hospitals in Dhaka.
District and field-level administration will take effective action to impose the directives and law enforcement agencies will ensure regular patrol.
Anyone violating these directives would face strict legal action, said the cabinet division.
Bangladesh registered 7,087 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the highest daily rise since the beginning of the pandemic.
With the new infections, the total number of cases in the country reached 637,364.
A total of 53 people died in 24 hours on Sunday pushing the death toll to 9,266.
mr/am
