Bangladesh on Saturday announced that the country will go into a week-long nationwide lockdown starting from Monday, a move that came after the COVID-19 cases remained unchecked, overwhelming the country'ss limited health infrastructure. 

According to a report in Dhaka Tribune, Obaidul Quader, the country’s transport minister, announced the decision as part of the efforts to limit the spread of the new wave of the virus. Emergency services will remain operational during the period. 

However, the government made a significant exemption to factories and mills in the country and they will be allowed to operate in shifts, with enforcing all health-related guidelines. 

“All offices and courts will be closed during this lockdown but industries and factories will continue operating following health guidelines and workers will work on shifts,"  Farhad Hossain, the state minister for public administration, was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune. 

The decision to exempt mills and factories was taken to minimize the effects of lockdown on human resources availability. “If we close the mills then the workers may have to leave their workstations and head for home,” Hossain said. The move would also help to avoid the jerk effect on major manufacturing units. 

For some weeks now, the South Asia region has been witnessing a  fresh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many countries reporting sudden spikes in infections and casualties. 

However, with this new announcement, the country became the first in the region to impose a nationwide lockdown this year. 

Earlier this week, authorities in Bangladesh had reimposed significant restrictions like banning gathering, limiting public transport, and regulating staff strength in offices to slow down the infection rate. However, despite these efforts, cases continued to rise, leaving the government with no option but to go for a nationwide lockdown.