Reza Mahmud :
Government is considering to permit law enforcers to take stern action, even beating with stick those who do not use mask, sources said.
Official sources said, higher officials discussed it in a meeting on Monday to pave the police and other law enforcers to beat those who ignore to wear face masks out-side home.
The meeting presided by Cabinet Secretary Khondoker Anwarul Islam took decision to extend the ongoing lockdown for one more week on Monday in the city.
Officials took part in the meeting discussed about giving permit to the law enforcers to take such a stern action so that the people become compelled to obey the health safety rule. After the meeting a notice was sent to concerned offices which said that punitive legal action is to be taken in the case of violating health rules including wearing masks and maintaining social distances out sides.
Sources said the government reopened shopping plazas to protect livelihoods of businessmen, their employees and thousands of other stakeholders. At the same time the governments laid importance on protecting people from the uprising of the pandemic in recent days.
“Everyone knows that the second wave of the deadly coronavirus has hit the country. The infection and the fatality have been on rising. The government is trying to control the alarming spreading of the fatal disease through the ongoing strict lockdown,” Professor Dr. Nasima Sultana, Additional Director of the Directorate General of Health Services told The New Nation on Tuesday.
She said, “The government’s initiative gets success as we found the infection rate is now falling to below 14 percent whereas it was above 23 percent before weeks.”
In the meantime, the government reopened the shopping malls, markets for the sake of the business, economy and the livelihoods of the people, she added.
“People have been allowed to go to markets, but they have to follow the health safety rules strictly. The police and other law enforcers’ agencies have been given directives to be strict on maintaining the health safety rules everywhere,” Professor Dr. Nasima Sultana said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Benzir Ahmed, Inspector General of Police also stressed on shoppers and sellers must to follow health safety rules.
“Everyone in shopping plazas and markets must maintain health safety measures strictly. Nobody will be allowed to violate those rules as the fatal virus infection is on rise,” Benzir Ahmed said on Tuesday in Police Headquarters in the capital during a view exchange meeting with shop owners.
The IGP said during buying and selling, the customers and sellers must wear face masks while using of hand sanitizers and washing hands are must on entrances in markets.
Besides, Health Minister Zahid Maleque also urged the people to follow all safety rules properly.
“You must go to markets for Eid shopping, but should follow the safety rules. You may celebrate many Eids if remain alive,” the minister said while talking to journalists in a programme at Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) in the capital.
