Bangladesh shut down relaxed from today

Dhaka: The Bangladesh related authorities have relaxed the ongoing shutdown in the capital allowing more vehicles on roads and restaurants to sell Iftar items from on Tuesday while business hours of shops across localities were extended to 1600 hrs 1400 hrs amid the spike in coronavirus infections.

The number of vehicles increased on city roads just a day after apparel factories resumed productions in industrial belts in Dhaka and its adjacent areas following a government order despite the risks of further escalation in COVID-19 infections as the disease has already killed 155 people and infected nearly 6,000.

Dhaka neighborhoods and alleyways will now remain open until 1600 hrs as the metropolitan police have extended the shopping time by 2 hours to cope with the surging demand during Ramadan, said DMP deputy commissioner for media Musudur



Rahman.

Restaurants would also be allowed to sell Iftar items from Tuesday maintaining social distancing, DMP official added.

Earlier, the police slapped a ban on Iftar bazaars in the city, giving it a different look as Ramadan, month of fasting for Muslims, began on Saturday.

More people and vehicles were pouring into the streets as the government allowed some factories to resume operation, said DMP Additional Commissioner for Traffic Mofiz Uddin Ahmed, referring to the move to relax the shutdown rules.

No hawkers and street iftar shops would, however, be allowed and grocers and superstore owners would be able to operate until 1700 hrs the DMP official said.

Health experts, however, cautioned about this relaxation of shutdown measures saying that if health rules were not followed, this relaxation would have a disastrous consequence.