The health ministry has asked the home ministry to take measures so that no one can leave Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Chattogram during Eid-ul-Azha as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus to the rural areas.

The Health Services Division in a letter to the Public Security Division on Thursday noted that the national technical advisory committee to tackle COVID-19 had recommended a ban on people leaving the four districts with high infection rates during the Eid holidays.

The Eid will fall on Jul 31 or Aug 1, subject to the sighting of the moon of the month of Zil Hajj on the Islamic calendar.

The government has ordered officials and employees of all public, private and autonomous bodies to remain in their areas of work during the holiday.

Apparel factory workers will also be barred from leaving their workplace during the Eid, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said.

After a 66-day lockdown over the outbreak, offices reopened on a limited scale on May 31. Public transport services have also resumed.

Experts have warned of a further rise in infection rate during the Eid-ul-Azha and called for a ban on leaving the cities during the holidays to control the outbreak.

The rate increased following inter-district travel by a huge number of people during Eid-ul-Fitr in June. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is approaching 200,000 with around official 2,500 deaths.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quaer has said public transport services will continue normally across Bangladesh during Eid while heavy vehicles will be banned for three days.

https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/07/17/bangladesh-plans-to-cut-off-four-districts-during-eid-to-strangle-covid-19-outbreak