“The lockdown went into effect from 8pm on Monday,” said a mass notification signed by Manikganj Deputy Commissioner SM Ferdous.
The newly-imposed lockdown areas are — Uttar Sewta, Paschim Dashra, Gongadharpotti, Shaheed Rafique Road, Girls School Road, Gongadharpotti Thana Road, Khalpar to Manikganj Bus Stand, Manikganj Bazar area in Sadar Upazila.
Lockdown were imposed in Dhankora and Saturia union in Saturia upazila and Joymontop Union and Singair Municipality in Singair upazila as well.
The mass notification said nobody can go out and enter the locked down areas while all shopping malls and shops will remain shut.
Five people, including the Imam, can attend the prayer at mosques and highest 10 people can attend the Jum’a prayer in the areas.
People involved with emergency services - government, banks, industrial factories, journalists and their vehicles will be out of the restrictions, the notification said.
A four-member vigilance team has been formed to implement the restrictions in the red zones while the District Administration, District Police, concerned municipalities and union parishad authorities will be active.
DC Ferdous said the lockdown will be implemented strictly and legal actions will be taken against the violators.
He also informed that executive magistrates, police and a good number of Ansars will work as volunteers in every ward while quick response teams will reach medicines to houses.
Ferdous urged all to maintain the lockdown restrictions and sought cooperation.
Bangladesh has so far reported 90,619 coronavirus cases and 1,209 deaths.
Also read: Coronavirus in Bangladesh: 3,099 new cases recorded, 38 more die in 24 hrs
Government takes new step
On Monday, the government has issued some directives imposing restrictions on the movement of people in an effort to prevent transmission of coronavirus and to improve the situation.
The Cabinet Division issued the directives on Monday which will remain in force until June 30. Weekly holidays will be included in the directives.
All government offices, non-government, autonomous, private offices and their employees and staffers under ‘red’ zone will be under general holidays and the Public Administration Ministry will take necessary measures in this regard, it said.
The life and livelihood, movement of people in red, yellow and green zones under Bangladesh Risk Zone-Based Covid-19 Containments implementation Strategy guide, provided by Health authorities will be strictly controlled.
Also read: Coronavirus: Govt imposes restrictions on movement
No one will be allowed to go out of his/her home from 8pm till 6am without emergency work (emergency purchasing, work place, medicine purchasing, treatment, and burial process).
People will have to maintain health issues when going out for emergency work or they would face legal action.
All have to abide by the directives provided by the Health Department during this period.
Red Zones
Earlier on Sunday, some areas of the two city corporations in Dhaka, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Narshingdi and Gazipur district have been marked as ‘Red zones’ to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Seventeen areas under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), 28 areas under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), 11 areas in Chattogram, Sadar, Rupganj and Araihazar upazilas of Narayanganj, Narsingdi Model and Madhabdi thanas, Palash upazila in Narsingdi district and all upazilas of Gazipur district will be declared as Red zones.
Also read: 45 areas in Dhaka, 11 in Chattogram marked as ‘Red zones’
The areas were identified at a meeting of the Central Technical Committee at the Directorate General of Health Services on Saturday.
Those areas are being considered as Red Zones in Dhaka and Chattogram city corporations where 60 cases in last 14 days or among 100,000 population were detected, according to a source of DGHS.