Army on the front line in Covid-19 fight.

Over 7,000 army personnel in nearly 600 teams are busy ensuring social distancing across the country.

Members of Bangladesh Army direct locals to take care of a one-way entry and exit to a kitchen market within the Dhaka city's Khilkhet area. This photo was taken recently. Photo : Mumit M\

Captain Imam Mahdi seems like he's on the battlefront of a war. he's the team leader of a gaggle of army personnel fighting not against any country but against the deadly coronavirus infection that's threatening to go away his country in ruins.

He is grimly determined to win the war against Covid-19 by flattening the curve. In epidemiology, the thought of slowing a virus' spread in order that fewer people got to seek treatment at any given time is understood as "flattening the curve".

His team is functioning to realize that goal.

As a part of his battle, captain Mahdi on Sunday afternoon found out a check-post on Azimpur Road ahead of Eden Mohila College, resulting in Lalbagh, one among the nine epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak in Dhaka. a minimum of 11 people have already tested positive for the deadly Covid-19 disease in Lalbagh alone.

Army personal is marking on the street at Dhaka to ensure social distancing Photo : ISPR

Captain Mahdi, along side 12 military personnel, including Sergeant Lutfor, Corporal Hemayat and noncommissioned officer Fazlu stop pedestrians also as vehicles at the check-post to ask why they're traveling during the lockdown.

"As the virus is spreading fast now, we cannot cover the whole area through patrols. that's why we are regularly fixing check-posts at different entry and exit points to Lalbagh," said Mahdi, who has been working within the area for quite fortnight .

Mahdi isn't alone. quite 7,000 army personnel in nearly 600 teams are busy implementing the govt order of social distancing in 62 districts since Annunciation when the govt deployed the military to assist civil administration to tackle the spread of the virus.

The army men patrol across the country to enforce social distancing, provide protective equipment – including face masks and hand sanitisers – and make awareness about coronavirus.

The security forces are keeping an in depth eye on people that have recently returned to the country from abroad. They monitor the returnees regularly to make sure that they follow quarantine rules.

In fact, people that see enforcement agency members doing their duty regularly are now abiding by the order of social distancing within the presence of military officials.

The number of infected people within the country is increasing fast. The capital is that the worst affected area within the country. within the last one month, quite 300 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Dhaka city alone. As a result, army personnel are now more alert within the city area.

More than 80 teams of security forces patrol Dhaka streets from dawn to dusk a day to make awareness and to advise people to remain reception . They also spray disinfectants on the roads.

Captain Mahdi said they were creating awareness about social distancing, asking people to scrub their hands frequently and ensuring that folks avoid gatherings even in kitchen markets.

"We have ensured that every kitchen market features a single-entry bookkeeping and a separate exit," said Mahdi. "No one is allowed to return out through the entry gate."

Army officials said that in the shutdown people leave of their homes mainly to shop for medicines and visit doctors. Besides, bankers and doctors leave to attend their offices.

"We don't allow anyone to travel out without a legitimate reason," said Mahdi, adding that they stop and ask each and each person at the checkpost.

The Bangladesh Army runs a quarantine centre at the Ashkona Hajj camp within the city, which has 38 people in quarantine now. they need also launched a health campaign in several places across the country to supply treatment to patients of other diseases.

"The army will support and assist the civil administration in enforcing the lockdown and ensuring the implementation of other government orders and directions ," said light colonel Abdullah Ibn Zaid, director of the Inter Services PR Directorate.

Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed during a meeting at the Ministry of Commerce on April 1 said military personnel are going to be within the field as long as required .