Lockdown Breaches
Lockdown Day 3: Banks reopen, 587 arrested, Tk 12.7 lakh fined
The third day of the ongoing strict lockdown saw increased number of people and vehicles on the streets of capital city on Sunday as police made more arrests and collected bigger sum of fines.
The increased movement may partly be due to the reopening of banks and return of Eid holidaymakers to the city, police said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 587 people and traffic police collected Tk 12,72,000 as fines from 521 vehicles for violating lockdown rules on Sunday.
Meanwhile, 233 people across the city were fined Tk 1,00,950 by mobile courts for not following the restrictions and health guidelines.
Read: Day 2 of reinforced lockdown: 383 arrested in capital
RAB and Army personnel patrolling the streets of the city alongside local police, were seen monitoring the movement of vehicles and people setting up strategic check-posts in different areas.
Though check-posts were set up from Gabtoli-Mirpur Road-New Market to Uattara-Airport-Mohakhali, to prevent unwanted movement, people on the streets showed different excuses when caught by law enforcers, Traffic officer Asaduzzaman of Mohakhai said.
“Many people were still returning to the city after the Eid holidays.”
Though some were seen carrying luggage on foot, a good number of people were halted at the entry points of the city including Abdullahpur, Uttara, Tongi, Amin Bazar bridge and Babu Bazar bridge, he said.
Read: 403 arrests on day 1 prove lockdown back in earnest
However, as per the government instructions, only ambulances and those in emergency services were allowed to enter the capital.
On Thursday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB that this lockdown would be stricter than the one imposed last time. "Police, the paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard and the Army will keep a strict vigil on the roads."
The second round of strict lockdown started on 8 am of July 23 that would continue till Aug. 5 unless further extended.
Day 2 of reinforced lockdown: 383 arrested in capital
Police arrested 383 people and penalised 441 vehicles in capital Dhaka for violating restrictions on Saturday, the second day of the strict post-Eid nationwide lockdown reinforced to rein in the soaring Covid-19 infections.
The arrestees were out on the streets violating restrictions, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam.
Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 95,230 in fines from 137 people for having no valid reason to roam around and not maintain health guidelines.
The Traffic Division collected Tk 10.83 lakh in penalties, from vehicles failing to comply with the curbs in place.
Also read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Death toll nears 200 again as 195 more die
Roads in the capital fell almost silent on Saturday, as law enforcers dissuaded inessential travel on the second day.
There were fewer private cars and commercial vehicles on the main roads as compared to first day Friday.
RAB and Army personnel patrolling the streets of Dhaka alongside police were seen monitoring the movement of vehicles and people at check-posts in different areas.
“Though some of the long-distance buses and vehicles were allowed to enter Dhaka through Uttara and Abdullahpur on Friday, we strictly followed a 'no tolerance' policy on Saturday," said traffic police officer Akhtar Hossain.
Also read: Silence descends on Dhaka
The few private cars, microbuses and other commercial vehicles that were caught plying on the roads without any valid reason were fined or compounded by police.
A police officer in the Amin Bazar area said, "Some people have been trying to enter the city showing medical documents but most of those were found to be old and invalid.
The lockdown restrictions came into force at 8am Friday and will continue till August 5 midnight, unless extended again as announced by the government on Thursday, upping its guard against the devastating Delta variant of Covid-19.
On Thursday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB that this lockdown will be stricter than the one imposed last time. Police, paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard and the Army will keep a strict vigil on the roads, he said.
Earlier, the government eased the lockdown restrictions in the country for eight days due to Eid-ul-Azha that was celebrated on Wednesday.
403 arrests on day 1 prove lockdown back in earnest
On the very first day back of the strict Covid-19 lockdown, 403 people were put under arrest by police, and 441 vehicles were fined by LEAs, for violating various protocols put in place as part of the lockdown restrictions.
The arrestees were out on the streets violating restrictions, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam.
Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 127,270 in fines from 203 people.
The Traffic Division collected Tk 10.6 lakh in penalties, from vehicles failing to comply with the extraordinary restrictions in place.
Dhaka fell quiet in one fell swoop Friday, after restrictions imposed as part of the nationwide lockdown that started July 1 - the 'all-out' or 'maximum' lockdown - kicked in again. The features that differentiate the July 2021 lockdown in Bangladesh from any previous lockdown or restrictive protocol during the pandemic can broadly be identified in three streams:
i) Law-enforcement agencies were given the authority to perform mass arrests of the public if need be, of citizens found in breach of lockdown rules. Agencies have in turn shown their willingness to use it. Even on resumption day, over 400 such arrests were reported.
ii) Larger deployments of the security and law enforcement agencies, including Army and BGB battalions.
iii) Mobile courts jointly operated between agencies and local administrations working far more proactively to nab and even track/hunt down offenders, coupled with more aggressive use of their fining authority.
Read: Lockdown Breaches: 462 arrested on day 14
The lockdown restrictions came into force at 8am today and will continue till August 5 midnight, unless extended again as announced by the government on Thursday, upping its guard against the devastating Delta variant of Covid-19.
Today (Friday), the first day of the resumed lockdown, the number of vehicles seen in the capital was much lower than any other day during the last week.
Even then, many were seen in the morning returning to Dhaka through different ways as public transports were taken off the roads following the fresh order.
The government’s order for everyone was to stay in their respective areas as offices, courts, garment factories and all other export-oriented industries will remain closed during the period.
Rab and army personnel, deployed to enforce the strict restrictions, were seen checking the movement of people and vehicles at different points of the capital in addition to the duties performed by the police.
Until 10am, some public transports, carrying passengers, were allowed to enter the capital.
Akhtar Hossain, a traffic police officer, said some of the long-haul buses and vehicles were allowed to enter the capital through Uttara and Abdullahpur as they were stuck on the roads before entering the capital. “After 10 am, no vehicle was allowed in without valid ground,” he said.
In response to a query, Akhter said, “The government order is to maintain the lockdown strictly and we’re doing that today. Only the vehicles used for emergency services are allowed to move.”
Meanwhile, those returning to Dhaka from southern districts were seen entering Dhaka on foot through different entry points of the city like Tongi Bridge, Aminbazar Bridge, Babubazar Bridge and Postogola Bridge.
Read: Lockdown Breaches: 708 arrested, Tk 5.5 lakh fined on day 11
Most of them were bus passengers who had to get off from the vehicles before entering the city due to the suspension of traffic movement.
Members of law enforcement agencies were seen making them wear masks and maintain health rules as per the order.
On Thursday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB that this lockdown will be stricter than the one imposed last time. Police, paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard and the Army will keep a strict vigil on the roads, he said.
Earlier, the government eased the lockdown restrictions in the country for eight days due to Eid-ul-Azha that was celebrated on Wednesday.
Lockdown Breaches: 708 arrested, Tk 5.5 lakh fined on day 11
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.