The government is likely to extend the ongoing restrictions on public movement and transport by another week to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The Cabinet Division has sent a proposal to extend the restrictions to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), sources said.

If the prime minister approves, the division is expected to issue a circular in this regard today, they added.

This current phase of restrictions will end today.

However, the ongoing restrictions remain only on paper as there is little enforcement by government agencies to control public movement and plying vehicles.

Except for long-route buses, launches and trains, it seems everything came to normalcy.

Although most of the government offices remained shut, almost all private offices remained open alongside some government offices.

Health experts have again warned that such careless acts amid lax enforcement of the restrictions could result in a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.

There has been a rise in coronavirus infections after Eid-ul-Fitr, they said.

In five days from May 15, at least 5,345,826 active mobile phone subscribers entered the capital while 10,645,697 subscribers left Dhaka between May 4 and May 15, according to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

The numbers are an indication of how many people have been travelling despite the restrictions on the operation of long-haul buses, trains and launches.

Yesterday, there was moderate to heavy traffic congestion at different intersections in the capital.

The government first imposed a week-long restriction from April 5 to contain the second surge of Covid-19 pandemic.

Later the authority extended the restriction till May 23 on several phases.