BANGLADESH.- At least one person died and around a dozen were injured after the refusal of two merchants to close their shops during lockdown in Bangladesh triggered a violent protest against the Police.
The incident occurred last night in the central district of Faridpur, during the first day of the closure of a week imposed in the country to try to control the rapid expansion of the coronavirus, which during the last day recorded a record of cases and deaths.
“The local people organized and pounced on the police after it was rumored that a man had been beaten. Then thousands of people attacked and set fire to the office of the Upazila (headquarters of the local administration) ”, explained this Tuesday to Efe the deputy inspector of the Faridpur Police, Jamal Pasha.
Later the mob tried to enter the police station and, to prevent it, the police opened fire.
“We received the news of a death, but they did not hand over the body to the police, burying it without performing an autopsy,” said Pasha, adding that at least two other protesters and seven policemen were injured during the clashes.
The Government of Bangladesh imposed a national lockdown for a week since Monday to try to contain the rapid increase in coronavirus cases in this second wave, after the country registered fewer than 1,000 daily infections in January.
Only during the last day was the highest number of infections and deaths registered since the start of the pandemic, with 7,213 cases and 66 deaths, bringing the total to 651,652 infections and 9,384 deaths.
Confinement prohibits leaving home, except for emergencies, and requires that all businesses remain closed and public transportation services suspended.
However, the authorities allow industries, factories and banks to operate according to sanitary regulations.
In an undeclared lockdown, Bangladesh had already imposed a general holiday last year for almost two months, until May 30, in which offices, factories, schools and markets were closed. The educational centers have not yet opened since then.
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