The members of the Armed Forces will help the local administrations as per their requirement

Bangladesh government has announced to deploy members of the Armed Forces across the country from tomorrow to enforce social distancing rules as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

"The members of the Armed Forces will help the local administrations as per their requirement," Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam made the announcement in a briefing today.

He also said all government and private offices will remain closed from March 29 to April 2.

Meanwhile, March 26 is a general holiday and March 27-28 are weekly holidays. March 29 to April 2 will be public holidays. Besides, April 3-4 are also weekly holidays. So, the government offices will remain closed from March 26 to April 4.

Only kitchen markets, hospitals and other emergency services will remain open during this time.

The Bangladesh Bank will instruct banks to limit their services during the period, the cabinet secretary added.

He also urged people not to come out of home unless it is an emergency and advised all to maintain enough protective measures while using public transports.

In a press release, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, "Armed Forces will remain deployed in divisional and district towns from March 24 to help the local administration under 'In Aid to Civil Power', to enforce social distancing and precautionary measures and quarantining the suspected patients."