Restaurants can now sell takeaway iftar items

Restaurants in the capital can sell takeaway iftar items from today, Dhaka Metropolitan Police said yesterday.

Owners must ensure buyers' physical distancing while selling iftar items, and no one will be allowed to have iftar inside the restaurants, Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of DMP, told The Daily Star.

The restaurants will not be permitted to set up any stalls outside their premises on footpaths as the DMP has decided not to allow any sale of iftar items on streets to ensure social distancing, he said.

In another development, the DMP said shops selling daily necessities in neighborhoods and alleys in the capital will be open from 6:00am to 4:00pm instead of 2:00pm from today.

The DMP expects that the city dwellers can purchase their daily essentials during the time by maintaining social distancing, said Masudur.

But there will be no change of timeframe for super shops and kitchen markets, and these will be open from 6:00am to 5:00pm daily, he said.

Medicine stores and emergency service providers will be outside the purview of the restrictions, he added.

A countrywide shutdown has been in force since March 26 to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.