Police arrested 708 people and fined Tk 5,52,500 from vehicles in the capital for lockdown breaches on the eleventh day, Sunday. The arrestees were out on the streets violating restrictions, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam. Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 5,38,680 as fines from 184 people. Also read: Breaching Lockdown: 585 arrested, Tk 8.9 lakh realised in fines During this time, the Traffic Division collected Tk 5,52,500 as penalties from 244 vehicles for failing to comply with coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Bangladesh is currently under a 14-day lockdown imposed to tame an alarming surge in the Covid infections across the country. Also read: Lockdown Breaches: 1077 arrested as more people defy restrictions Started on July 1 the nationwide strict lockdown will continue till July 14 midnight. Meanwhile, both Covid cases and fatalities continue to hit new records.

The government will enforce an all out  lockdown from July 1  as the country grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases and fatalities with the highly infectious Delta variant playing havoc. Meanwhile, the country will go into the earlier announced strict lockdown ‘on a limited scale’ from Monday. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting, chaired by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in the chair on Saturday evening. State  Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain confirmed the development to UNB. “Nationwide lockdown will begin on Monday. However, for zonal closing of bills of the banking sector and various government offices at the end of the month, the maximum restrictions will kick in from July 1," he said. Details on the lockdown will be known after the government issues a notification on Sunday, the minister added. However, public transport will be suspended from Monday according to sources attending the meeting. Alsor read: COVID-19: Daily caseload drops on back of reduced tests, as positivity keeps rising Export-oriented  factories are likely to be exempted from the restrictions, they said. Earlier on Saturday, sources within Bangladesh Garment Exporters and Manufacturers Association (BGMEA) confirmed the news to UNB citing a circular issued by the organisation.

The government is going to enforce a new nationwide "strict lockdown" on 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, said Press Information Department Principal Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarker. Government and private offices, barring those of emergency services, will remain shut during this period. All modes of transport, except those carrying emergency goods, will also remain suspended and nobody will be allowed to go out unless there is an emergency. Also read: From bad to worse: Bangladesh reports 108 new Covid deaths, 5,869 cases However, the restrictions will not apply to the media, ambulances, and vehicles used for medical purposes. The Cabinet Division will come up with details regarding the "strict lockdown" on Saturday, Surath said. The repeated lockdowns have become a threat to the livelihoods of many in Bangladesh while disrupting travel and social lives. However, experts hope that stricter rules will bring positivity rates and fatalities down as the country is battling to get a second coronavirus wave under control. Also read: Bangladesh may see dreadful Covid peak ahead of Eid, experts warn The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 pandemic on Thursday recommended imposing a "nationwide shutdown" for two weeks considering the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country. Community transmission of the highly transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus might be the reason behind the current Covid-19 situation in the country, said the committee. It used the example of India to emphasise that no step other than a "complete shutdown" might be enough to prevent the spread of the Delta variant. Bangladesh has seen a spike in coronavirus infections and fatalities in recent weeks, with the country reporting its second-highest fatalities – 108 new deaths – and 5,869 cases Friday. It has now seen 878,804 cases and 13,976 deaths.