Staff Reporter :
The government has extended a nationwide shutdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic until May 16 but agreed to partially lift some restrictions from Tuesday.
The partial lifting of the restrictions includes opening shops and shopping malls.
The Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification in this regard on Monday, saying various emergency services will be out of the purview.
“Shops will be allowed to remain open to do business on a limited scale. But all have to maintain distance and follow health guidelines during buying and selling. Big shopping malls will have to make arrangements for hand washing at their entrances and disinfecting vehicles entering the malls,” the gazette notification said.
The gazette notification said May 6 will be considered as a public holiday for Buddha Purnima while May 8 and 9 and May 15 and 16 will be included in the general holidays.
Vehicles and workers employed in various emergency services, including electricity, water, gas, energy, fire services, land, river and seaports, telephone and internet, and post offices, will be out of the purview of the holidays. Besides, goods-laden vehicles and cargo vessels will be allowed to ply as usual. Those who are engaged in processing of agricultural products, insecticides, foods, industrial goods, kitchen markets and pharmacies will remain out of the restriction, said the notification.
Physicians, health workers, vehicles for transporting medicines and other medical equipment, and media workers will remain beyond the purview of the holidays.
Educational institutions will remain closed as before, the notification added.
During this period, the movement of people and plying of vehicles from one district to another and one upazila to another will be monitored strictly. Local Administrations and law enforcement agencies will monitor it strictly.
People have been asked to remain in their respective homes and refrain from going outside without emergency purpose from 8 pm till 6 am, it said.
Bangladesh Bank will issue necessary directives regarding banking hours considering the continuation of business activities ahead of Eid.
All Ministries and Divisions can open their offices as per their necessity and no one will be allowed to leave their workplace even during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, said the notification.
Apart from this, no one can leave and travel home from respective work areas during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.
It also said that all people and authorities must abide by the guidelines (hygiene rules) issued by the Health Department.
All inter-district transports will remain suspended during the holidays, said the notification.
On March 23, the government declared general holidays from March 26 to April 4, aiming to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.
Afterwards, the holidays have been extended five times until April 25 – first from April 5 to April 9, then from April 10 to April 14, later from April 15 to April 16, from April 17 to April 25 and finally until May 5.
