The government is set to declare a seven-day
lockdown across the country from Monday to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today disclosed the
information at a virtual media briefing from his official residence here today, a day
after Bangladesh recorded the highest daily Covid-19 cases.
The government has taken the decision as the lethal virus is on rising
trend and infecting more than 6,000 people per day in last two
consecutive days and more than 5,000 in the last few days.
Besides, in a video message, State Minister for Public Administration
Farhad Hossain said, “The government is going to enforce a lockdown within the next two to three days for a week across the country as the spread of coronavirus increases.”
Emergency services will remain out of the purview of the lockdown, he said.
Hossain said industries will remain open and employees will have to work in shifts, following health guidelines.
During the briefing, Quader urged all to wear facemasks and maintain health guidelines properly as the infection and death rates have increased alarmingly.
The government has already taken necessary preparations to face the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic but many people are not following health guidelines and not wearing facemasks which could worsen the situation.
“Now it is our key task to maintain the highest caution for our own safety,” he said.
Turning to politics, the AL general secretary said BNP is making blind criticism of the government and spreading propaganda instead of standing beside the people during the pandemic.
They cannot see any measures or initiatives of the government, he said.
“Sometimes BNP is spreading propaganda against lockdown, sometimes against vaccine and sometimes they search the government’s failures . . . doing these things are BNP’s regular tasks,” he added.
Quader said BNP as a responsible political party has lost its minimum values to stand beside the people during disaster.
He said BNP and their cohorts carried out mayhem to destroy the public property and create anarchy in the country.
BNP will have to stand before people’s witness box for their evil acts, he added.
He said now it is BNP’s strategy to take revenge on the people in the name of movement.
The minister said the government remains alert to control unnecessary price hike and stockpiling during the upcoming Ramadan.
When Ramadan comes, a group of businessmen increase prices of daily commodities which is punishable offence, he said.
Quader said the government has already fixed the prices of essential commodities.
The government will not tolerate any evil efforts to make markets unstable and it will not allow any syndicate to take the market system hostage, he added.