Experts believe the lockdown played a role in keeping the infections down, and the situation would have improved more had everyone followed the health safety rules.

“There is no doubt the declining number of cases in daily count and rate of infection is a result of the lockdown,” Dr Mohammad Shahidullah, head of the National Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19, on Saturday.

“The situation improved even though the lockdown was enforced laxly. It would have been better had everyone followed the rules,” he added.

The stricter rules came into force on Apr 12 following another week of a lax lockdown and the government has extended the existing curbs to Apr 28.

The caseload surged to 742,400 after 2,697 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8am Saturday. The death toll rose by 83 to 10,952 in the same period.

In the seven days to Saturday, the government confirmed 27,148 coronavirus cases, with the highest daily count of 4,559 on Apr 20.

The number of cases rose by 36,314 in the previous week when the highest daily infection was 7,201 on Apr 12.

The weekly test positivity rate also dropped to an average of 15.73 percent in the past week from 20.77 percent in the previous seven days.

The weekly death count, however, rose by 7.16 percent to 670 from 622.

Public health expert Dr Mushtuq Husain said the improvement Bangladesh experiencing now is a result of the curbs from Apr 5 to Apr 13. “I hope we will see the results of the strict lockdown, which came into effect on Apr 14, in the coming days. We must keep this dropping trend continuing.”   

“Infections have dropped because of people’s hygienic behaviour just like they did in November last year when people were more careful fearing a second wave in winter.

"It has been proved that infections can be kept under control if people follow health rules and other curbs. The rate doesn’t drop automatically.”