LGRD Minister Tajul Islam has said the final decision regarding the enforcement of zone-wise lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic will be taken soon.
He made the comment while visiting the Dhaka North City Corporation’s first red zone Razabazar on Wednesday noon.
“Tonight, we will sit for a meeting with the other stakeholders. Hopefully we can finalize the areas, zones wise, by tonight,” he said.
Government sources said an online “zoom” videoconference meeting will be held at 8pm on Wednesday where the health minister, LGRD minister, and mayors of two city corporations of Dhaka will discuss the issue with respective stakeholders to finalize areas to be marked as red, yellow, and green zones.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam was present during the minister’s visit.
“We need small areas to be marked as zones from the Health Ministry. The Cantonment and Banani is a large area, we cannot lockdown the whole area. We need specific places of that area to marked as zone,” Mayor Atiqul said.
Earlier on Tuesday, officials at Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) said they are waiting for a list of specific areas which need to be locked down, for their next course of action to curb the spread of Covid-19.
According to them, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) was supposed to provide the list so they can impose lockdowns in the areas recognized as red zones.
“Once we get the map from DGHS, we will need at least 48 to 72 hours to impose complete lockdown in an area,” said DSCC mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh while speaking to reporters following a coordination meeting at Nagar Bhaban on Tuesday.
“DGHS has informed us that we will get the list before the end of this week.”
Earlier this week, DGHS made a draft list of 45 designated red zones in Dhaka, 17 in Dhaka north, and 28 in Dhaka south.
Since then the Health Ministry said it will not be necessary to lockdown an entire red zone. Rather, restrictions will be imposed on specific portions of these areas.
“The top brass of the government also doesn't want to impose lockdowns on large areas,” Taposh said.
A newsbrief from the Health Ministry said a zone wise lockdown had already been introduced experimentally in Dhaka south’s Wari.
However, the DSCC mayor told this correspondent he did not give any such directives for any areas in his city corporation.
