This time, factories related to medicine and export-oriented industries were allowed to run maintaining proper safety and hygiene of the workers.

The Public Administration Ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard on Thursday, saying various emergency services will be out of the purview.

“In continuation of the previous holidays, days from April 26 to 30 and from May 3 to 5 are declared as general holidays,” the notification said, adding that May 1 and 2, the weekly holidays, will be included in the general holidays.

Vehicles and workers employed on various emergency services, including electricity, water, gas, energy, fire services, land, river and sea-ports, telephone and internet, and post, will be out of the purview of the holidays. Besides, goods laden vehicles and cargo vessels will be allowed to ply.

The announcement won’t be effective for those who are engaged in processing of agricultural products, insecticides, foods, industrial goods, kitchen markets and pharmacies, said the notification. 

Physicians, health workers, vehicles for transporting medicine and other medical equipment, and media workers will be out of the purview of holidays.

Educational institutions will remain close as before while banks will conduct their activities in a limited scale.

Also read: No respite from coronavirus in Bangladesh; 10 new deaths, 390 fresh cases

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 four 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 and finally from April 17 to April 25.

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