Covid-19: Nationwide hard lockdown enters day 5

A week-long hard lockdown to tackle the spread of Covid-19 continues for the fifth consecutive day across Bangladesh with police, border guards and army troops on the streets to enforce the restrictions.

Law enforcement agencies were seen operating check-posts and patrolling streets in the capital since early morning on Monday.

Meanwhile, banks and other financial institutions reopened after a break of four days and operating in a limited scale.

Transactions will continue from 10am to 1:30pm, the central bank said in a notice on June 30. The lenders will have until 3pm to complete post-transaction activities.

The relevant departments of the headquarters must remain open with a limited workforce, said the Bangladesh Bank.

Police arrested 550 people on Thursday, the first day of the ongoing lockdown, while the mobile courts fined 182 people Tk132,395 across the country. 

Meanwhile, total 320 people were arrested on the second day and 621 on the third day of the hard lockdown for being outside without a valid reason.

A total of 618 people were arrested from the capital and 161 people were fined Tk54,450 on the fourth day of the ongoing lockdown, on Sunday, for disobeying government orders during a joint operation of eight divisions of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Also, the RAB’s executive magistrates conducted 31 mobile courts across the country and fined 277 people around Tk200,000 for violating the ban on Saturday.

According to the RAB Headquarters, the elite force is in the field all over the country to enforce the ongoing restrictions and increase public awareness

A total of 187 patrol teams and 211 check posts of the elite force are currently operational across Bangladesh. 

To curb the spread of Covid-19, the Cabinet Division imposed a week-long restriction on the overall activities and movement of the citizens from July 1.

In case of emergency, one must wear a mask and maintain social distancing while going outside.