The government has issued notification imposing restrictions on people’s movement from April 14 to 21 next to prevent coronavirus transmission in the country. According to the notification all government and non-government offices will remain closed in this period. But garments and industrial factories will be operational. The notification was issued by the cabinet division on Monday. The notification said, no automobiles except those of emergency services and commodity laden transports will be allowed to ply. Kitchen markets are allowed to be arranged in open spaces after abiding by the health guidelines from 9 am to 3 pm. The restrictions are: All the government, semi-government, autonomous and non-government offices and financial institutions will remain closed. All the officials have to stay within their work places. But airports, sea ports, river ports and land ports and the associate offices will be out of these restrictions. Supreme Court will issue necessary directions for the courts. All the transports (road, water way, rail, domestic and international flights) will remain shut. But this order will not be effective for commodity laden transports, production and emergency services. Industrial factories will be in operation with own management abiding by the health guidelines. But transports to and from the offices for the workers have to be ensured by the concerned institutions. Law enforcement and emergency services such as agro materials (fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, agro tools etc.)food grains, food items, transport, relief distribution, health service, Covid-19 vaccination, electricity, water, gas/fuel, fire service, activities of ports (land, river and sea ports), telephone and internet (government-private), mass media (print and electronic), private security services, postal service, other offices associated with emergency commodities and services, their staffs and transports will be out of these restrictions. Nobody will be allowed to move outside home without very urgent purposes (purchase of essential items and medicines, treatment, burial etc). But vaccine seekers can move showing their vaccine cards. Food items can be sold or supplied from hotels and restaurants from 12 pm to 7 pm and from 12 am to 6 am. All the shops and shopping malls will remain closed. Kitchen markets can be arranged and essential items can be sold in open spaces abiding by the health guidelines from 9 am to 3 pm. Market authority or local administration will ensure the matters. Deputy Commissioners will coordinate the matter of workers movement in the Boro harvesting season. District and field administration will take active steps to implement the directions and law enforcement agencies will ensure strict patrol. Director General of health directorate will provide necessary powers to district administration and police service for taking legal steps. Religious affairs ministry will issue directions about Juma and Tarabi prayers. AH         

The election Commission (EC) has issued gazette notification cancelling the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. The gazette notification was issued on Sunday signed by EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed. The gazette notification said, Jamaat-e-Islami applied for registration as a political party under Representation of the People Order (RPO)-1972. In this perspective Jamaat-e-Islami was given registration on November 4, 2008. The registration number was 14. As the verdict of the court of 630 number writ petition filed in the High Court in 2009 declared Jamaat-e-Islami as illegal, so according to the section 90 H of the RPO the registration of Jamaat is declared cancelled. AH   

A meeting was held between the representatives of agitating students and government representatives on Monday afternoon. From there a declaration came in postponing the movement till May 7. But later the general students declared to continue their movement opposing the decision of postponing the movement on quota reforms. Convener of Bangladesh General Students Rights Protection Council Hasan Al Mamun at 7:30 pm in front of Raju sculpture in Dhaka University campus said, all students are not agreed about postponing movement. For this reason we have decided to continue our movement. We will continue it as long as any immediate decision on quota reforms is taken, notification is issued. Hundreds of students were seen gathering freshly in the Dhaka University campus after the evening. General students were saying that they will not accept any conspiracy to stop the movement following tricks. The demonstrators who gathered in the campus burst into anger after they acknowledged the declaration of postponing movement. They began to gather there from different dormitories and were seen chanting slogans to raise their demands.  AH