Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged all to refrain from holding any mass program celebrating the Bangla New Year to stem the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
She also encouraged all to celebrate Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bangla month Boishakh, digitally.
The premier said this while addressing a videoconference, with the officials of 64 districts to coordinate the ongoing activities to contain coronavirus, from Ganabhaban in Dhaka on Tuesday.
"Bangla New Year celebration will be restricted to the home and digital platforms this year. No outside gathering will be allowed," she said.
The prime minister also said the government declared holiday to prevent the Covid-19 transmission might be extended till April 9.
Earlier, the government on March 23 declared general holidays from March 26 to April 4.
The authorities also imposed a travel ban on all modes of transport – rail, road, air, and waterways – across the country to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
As of Tuesday, Bangladesh has so far recorded five deaths and 49 infections from Covid-19, a pandemic announced by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The fast spreading coronavirus, which was first reported in China's Wuhan, has claimed 37,831 lives and infected 786,459 people across the world till 12:40pm on Tuesday, according to Worldometer.
As many as 165,660 people have recovered from the virus which has spread to 200 countries and territories around the world.
