What does this new lockdown mean?

The government has announced a countrywide week-long lockdown starting from Monday, which means public movement outside the home will be strictly restricted.

The move comes after a staggering rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths over the past month, indicating a second wave of the pandemic.

Ahmad Kaikaus, the principal secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, on Saturday told Dhaka Tribune: “We are now discussing what directives would be applicable to curb Covid-19 wave right now. We will hold a meeting with all concerned authorities this afternoon.

"After that meeting, a proper directive regarding the lockdown will be announced.” 

Compared to the "general holidays" imposed last year, this new lockdown will be a tool for the government to restrict public movement.

Also Read - Bangladesh goes into full lockdown for a week from Monday

People will not be allowed to travel on long routes. Employees and workers will remain in touch with their workplaces during the lockdown.

The lockdown comes as the previous 18-point directive, issued by the government on March 29, to curb the new wave of Covid-19 remained loosely implemented.

Talking to Dhaka Tribune, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain shared some basic points of the new lockdown. 

According to him:

- All offices, including public and private, and courts will be closed.

- Emergency services like hospitals, Fire Service, police station, local administration will remain in operation.

- Industries and factories will continue to operate following health guidelines and ensuring shifting duty, as no one will be allowed to leave workstations.

- Public and private transport movement will come under restrictions. Only emergency vehicles will be allowed to run.

However, the decisions over bank operations, shopping mall, and street movement are yet to be announced.

In March last year, city dwellers, mainly consisting of workers from garments factories and informal sectors, started crowding launch and bus terminals to head off for their home towns right after the government announced a general holiday in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Such mass movement of people had instigated the fast transmission of the deadly virus across the country.