The High Court today directed civil aviation and tourism ministry to hand over all overseas returnees to law enforcing agencies -- to keep them in quarantine to prevent spread of coronavirus.

In response to a writ petition, the court ordered the public administration ministry to ask the deputy commissioners to strictly monitor and ensure that the overseas returnees abide by the government's home quarantine conditions.

It ordered the government to test the returnees and to give proper treatment to the coronavirus patients.

The HC bench of Justice Mujibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohiuddin Shamim came up with the order following the writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond on March 15.