The move comes at a time when the Covid situation has taken a turn for the worse again
Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths, the government has decided to impose a weeklong lockdown in seven districts of the country.
The districts of Narayanganj, Manikganj, Madaripur, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Gopalganj and Rajbari will remain locked down from June 22 to 30, according to a circular issued by Cabinet Division Deputy Secretary Rezaul Islam on Monday.
All kinds of activities, including public movement, will remain suspended from 6am June 22 to 12 midnight June 30, it said.
No vehicles, except those used for emergency services and carrying goods, will be allowed on the streets in these districts.
According to the circular, during the lockdown, all types of government, semi-government and autonomous offices will also remain closed in these seven districts.
However, it said, emergency services like transportation of agricultural equipment and inputs, crops, food items, aid efforts, health services, Covid-19 vaccination, utility services, fire service, port activities, telephone and internet services, the media, private security services, postal services and offices related to emergency services, their employees, vehicles will remain out of the purview of the restrictions.
Before the circular was issued, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told media at a press briefing that these seven districts around Dhaka are going into lockdown to ensure the capital city’s safety from the surge of Covid-19 cases and deaths.
He also said: “No vehicle, except the ones on emergency services, will be allowed to enter Dhaka city from these seven districts.”
The move to put these districts in lockdown has come at a time when the Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh has taken a turn for the worse again.
Eighty-two more people died from the deadly disease in 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday mornings.
During that period, 3,641 more new cases were also detected after the test of 22,231samples, according to the health directorate.
With the new numbers, the country’s caseload now stands at 851,668 and the death toll at 13,548.
