Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday warned that the nationwide lockdown, set to be enforced on Monday, will not be successful without ensuring food security for the crores of hardcore poor people of the country.

“Hungry people can never be forced to stay indoors. Hunger and lockdown can’t go together,” he said in a statement.

Quader, also the deputy leader of the opposition in parliament, said there is no alternative to lockdown if the Covid pandemic spreads alarmingly.

READ: GM Quader fears dire social consequences of drug abuse

“But there’re crores of hardworking people in the country who don’t have food in their stocks at homes as they manage their food based on their daily income,” he observed.

The Jatiya Party chief also said the poor and the day-labourers have to buy medicines along with food and in some cases baby food. “They also have to pay house rent.”

He said the families of crores of day labourers will suffer badly if they can’t work due to the lockdown. "It'll create a humanitarian catastrophe across the country."

He also fears that the law-and-order situation in the country may collapse if people suffer from the scarcity of food and other necessary things.

GM Quader said the government must ensure food security for the extremely poor and working people on humanitarian ground during the lockdown.

Besides, the authorities concerned will have to take tough measures so that the government’s aid for the poor and destitute is not stolen.

On Friday night, the government announced to enforce a fresh nationwide "strict lockdown" from Monday, as the country grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases and fatalities with the highly infectious Delta variant playing havoc.

The restrictions will remain in place for seven days when the government and private offices, barring those of emergency services, will remain shut.

READ: Not possible to tackle Covid with gifted vaccines: GM Quader

The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 pandemic on Thursday recommended imposing a "nationwide shutdown" for two weeks to contain the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.