Curfew relaxed more, offices open today

The situation in the country has started to normalise. The government has further relaxed the ongoing curfew. The movement of traffic has also started on the highways.

The government and private offices will remain open for four hours from today, Wednesday. Export-oriented readymade garment factories will also open from today.

The government has also decided to launch the internet on an experimental basis on a limited scale. However, there has been no decision yet about the opening of the educational institutions.

Protests and clashes broke out across the country over the movement seeking reform in the quota system in government jobs last week. Incidents of attacks, vandalism and arson attacks also took place at different places. As of Tuesday, 197 people have lost their lives in the incidents.

The government deployed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members along with regular law and order forces to control the situation.

At one stage, the government imposed a curfew across the country from 12:00 am Saturday. On the same day, it was decided to deploy the armed forces to assist the civil administration. The army is still assisting the civil administration.

On the first day of the imposition, the curfew remained in place with a break for two hours (from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm). The next day a three-hour break (from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm) was given.

A four-hour break (from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm) was given in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narsingdi and Narayanganj Tuesday. This break is there across the country.

There were no reports of clashes or violence anywhere in the country Tuesday. In such a situation, the curfew has been further relaxed in Dhaka city and Dhaka district, Gazipur town and Gazipur district, Narsingdi and Narayanganj.

Speaking about the overall situation, senior public relations officer of the home ministry, Sharif Mahmud told Prothom Alo that curfew will be in effect in the areas. However, this will be relaxed from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Wednesday and Thursday. In case of other districts respective authorities (deputy commissioners) will decide on this.

The government announced a general holiday from Sunday to Tuesday due to the curfew. But it has been decided to open the government and private offices from today following the relaxation of the curfew. But the office will not remain open as usual.

The public administration ministry issued a notification Tuesday saying that office hours for all government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices have been set from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on Wednesday and Thursday.

However, the employees and workers and vehicles of emergency services such as electricity, water, gas and other fuels, fire service and operations of ports, cleaning, telephone, internet, and postal service will remain outside of this schedule.

Besides, hospitals and emergency services and staff related to these services, physicians and staff engaged in medical services, vehicles and staff carrying medical equipment, including medicines, will be outside of this schedule.

This means, the staff of emergency services will operate as per their requirement.

The public administration ministry notification said the Supreme Court and Bangladesh Bank will give separate instructions regarding the operations of court proceedings and the banking proceedings.

Later, the Bangladesh Bank sent instructions to the banks yesterday. It said some branches of all banks will remain open for four hours, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, and will provide services on a limited scale by ensuring proper security.

This decision is only for Wednesday and Thursday. Authorities of the banks will decide which branches to keep open.

Traffic movement has started to return to normal on the country’s highways from Tuesday. Cars, covered vans, cargo trucks, and some long-distance vehicles were seen operating on one or two highways yesterday.

Goods vehicles and long-distance buses were seen operating on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Goods vehicles have also been reported on the Padma Bridge expressway. However, traffic movement on the Dhaka-Rangpur and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways did not start till yesterday.

Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association secretary general Khandkar Enayet Ullah told Prothom Alo that buses will operate in the city and long distances once the curfew is relaxed.

Operations of oil tanker trains have been started after almost five consecutive days of suspension of rail movement. Five oil trains from Chattogram left for different destinations Tuesday.

Railway sources, however, said no decision has been taken regarding the running of passenger and freight trains. A decision may be taken on starting the passenger train today or Thursday.

Due to the situation centering the quota reform movement, on 16 July, academic activities at public and private universities and all secondary and higher secondary educational institutions (schools, colleges, madrasahs and technical institutions) and polytechnic institutes under the education ministry were closed until further orders.

Colleges affiliated to the National University were also declared closed. A total of four days of HSC and equivalent examinations have also been postponed. The primary schools of eight city corporation areas were also closed on the next day, 17 July.

It has not yet been decided when the educational institutions will open.

While addressing a press conference organised in the city Tuesday regarding the issuance of quota notification in government jobs, Law Minister Anisul Huq told newspersons that the government is trying to restore the education environment as soon as possible. “You may hope the educational institutions will open.”

In the same press conference, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury emphasised the safety of students.

He said the residential halls of the educational institutions cannot be opened without ensuring the safety of the students.

* The report, originally published in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza