403 arrested on first day of strict restrictions

Police arrested 403 people for violating restrictions on the very first day of the strict Covid-19 lockdown on Friday. The authorities also fined 441 vehicles, reports UNB.

DMP additional deputy commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam said the arrestees were out on the streets violating restrictions.

Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 127,270 in fines from 203 people.

The traffic division collected Tk 1.06 million (10.6 lakh) in penalties, from vehicles failing to comply with the extraordinary restrictions in place.

The restrictions came into force at 8:00am today and will continue till 5 August midnight, unless extended again as announced by the government on Thursday.

The authorities enforced stricter restrictions to stave off delta variant of Covid-19.

On the first day of the resumed lockdown after Eid-ul-Azha, the number of vehicles seen in the capital was much lower than any other day during the last week.

Many people were seen in the morning returning to Dhaka through different ways as public transports were taken off the roads following the fresh order.

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 10:00am, 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 10:00am, no vehicle was allowed in without valid ground," he said.

Meanwhile, those returning to Dhaka from southern districts were seen entering the city on foot through different entry points such as Tongi Bridge, Aminbazar Bridge, Babubazar Bridge and Postogola Bridge.

On Thursday, state minister for public administration Farhad Hossain said 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 restrictions in the country for eight days due to Eid-ul-Azha that was celebrated on Wednesday.