The Cabinet Division issued some directives in this regard on Monday, saying various emergency services will remain out of the purview of the directives.

Shops will be allowed to remain open to do business on a limited scale from 10 am to 4 pm from May 10. But all have to maintain safe 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 directives said.

The government has extended the general holidays from May 7 until May 16 in a bid to tackle the worsening coronavirus situation in the country.

The Cabinet Division in its directives also 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 as those are weekly holidays.File Photo

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 Cabinet Division in its directives.

Physicians, health workers, vehicles transporting medicines and other medical equipment, and media workers will remain out of the purview of the holidays.

Educational institutions will remain closed as before, according to the directives.

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 during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, the Cabinet division said in the directives.

All inter-district transports will remain suspended during the holidays.

On March 23, the government declared general holidays from March 26 to April 4, aiming to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.

Later, the holidays were 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.

The government closed all the academic institutions and shut down transportation to tamp down the spread of coronavirus.