Passenger train services will remain suspended until further notice from Monday across the country, according to Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan.
The formal announcement will come after the government’s official notification on imposing the week-long lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
“However, freight trains will remain out of purview of the restrictions,” the minister told Bangla Tribune on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the government decided to enforce a seven-day lockdown from Monday as Covid-19 cases and deaths are surging across the country. Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader disclosed the government’s latest move.
As the coronavirus transmission is spreading fast, the government is going to reimpose a nationwide seven-day lockdown, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said in a video message. However, the order does not apply to utility and emergency services. On the train tickets that were sold in advance, the railways minister said the price of the tickets would be refunded.
However, Bangladesh Railway’s Additional Director General (operations) Sardar Shahadat Ali any decision to suspend train services was yet to be taken. “We’ll take a decision on that after receiving directives from the government in this regard. Bangladesh has been logging more than 5,000 Covid-19 cases and 50 fatalities for the past few days.
