The Bangladeshi government on Monday declared a public holiday from March 26 to April 4, while the army will be deployed to assist authorities in the fight against the pandemic, due to the increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country
Bangladeshi Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam made the announcement at a press conference in Dhaka on Monday, according to the media report.
“Army would be deployed to assist local administration as all the government and the private offices in the country will be closed from March 26 to April 4.”
He said the shutdown will not affect emergency services such as law enforcement agencies.
Earlier in the month, Qatar has placed a temporary ban on travellers from 14 countries including India, as a precaution against the rapidly spreading COVID-19 coronavirus disease.
Qatar Airways had already suspended flights to and from Italy.
This has been done to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the government announced.
According to the Islam, Public transport will operate on a limited scale but markets will stay open as usual.
People have been asked not to leave their homes, except to collect emergency supplies and daily essentials.
The decisions were taken after Bangladesh health authorities on Monday reported another COVID-19 death, taking the country’s death toll to three, while te number of infections rose to 33.
The novel Coronavirus outbreak has caused alarm as it has crossed global fatalities in the 2002-03 SARS epidemic.