The government plans to extend the ongoing general holiday, scheduled to end tomorrow (Friday), till May 6 in order to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, official sources said. Earlier, the government had shut down schools, workplaces, industries, and transport to force people to stay home.
The Ministry of Public Administration is to issue a circular in this regard today, Thursday. After declaring a general holiday, the government has taken various steps in order to ensure people stay at home and maintain physical distance. Members of the Armed Forces have also been deployed across the country in aid of the civil administration. However, many people were ignoring government instructions which ultimately triggered community transmission of the deadly virus across the country.
As a result, government high-ups ordered law enforcing agencies to adopt a tougher position to resist people coming out of their homes without any valid reason. As per the instruction, local administrations conducted mobile courts and gave various punishments to those violated the rule of keeping physical distance.
Police seized large numbers of vehicles and lodged cases. But nothing could apparently stop people violating the government’s instruction to stay at home. Many private owned vehicles are seen on the highways everyday on lame excuses. Not only are ordinary people violating the government’s orders, but also some influential bodies including some members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) are doing so as well.
Some RMG factories are remaining open in the name of manufacturing PPE and other medical equipment, police said. Some other members of the BGMEA were allegedly involved in bringing RMG workers to Dhaka and the city’s adjacent areas from different districts amid the ongoing shutdown.
On Saturday, thousands of people attended a namaz-e-janaza of Maulana Jubaer Ahmed Ansari, a senior leader of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis at Sarail in Brahmanbaria district throwing a big challenge to the government instructions. Some people and charity organizations are also distributing relief without maintaining physical distancing.
On March 26, the government first introduced a 10-day shutdown till April 4, which was later extended till April 11, and then again till April 14. The government extended the general holiday from April 19 to April 23, which means, with the weekend, it will continue till April 25. The government had directed everyone to stay home after 6pm.
Violation of this directive will result in legal action, it says. Movement between neighbourhoods and localities has also been restricted.
Emergency services such as power, gas, water, internet, fire service, telephone and ambulance are exempted from the shutdown.
