Mobile court fines people for violating social distancing measures

A mobile court led by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has slapped some Tk89,500 in fines on dozens of people in the Farm Gate area of Dhaka.  The fines were for violating stay-at-home and social distancing measures imposed by the government in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Executive Magistrate Sarwor Alam led the mobile court operation on Monday between 1pm and 3pm. 

He said the mobile court found some 24 people guilty of violating the social-distancing rules who were spotted driving their vehicles on the roads without being able to demonstrate plausible reasons before the executive magistrate.

Sarwor Alam said they have been conducting such drives in order to prevent people from coming out of their dwelling places without emergency reasons during the general shutdown ordered by the government.

He, however, added that it was not possible to prevent people from coming out on the streets by applying laws, if they were not cognizant of the matter.

Talking to Dhaka Tribune,  Al Amin, a motorbike rider who was fined, claimed he had come to his son’s aid at Karwan Bazar kitchen market in Dhaka, on an emergency matter.

On March 23, the government declared a 10 day shutdown effective from March 26 to April 4 to combat the spread of the coronavirus. This shutdown has been extended to April 11. The government also imposed containment measures including social distancing since March 24 across the country.