Kitchen market relocation brings hardly any change

Kitchen market relocation to open space have had very little impact as people still throng into the market places ignoring the social distancing guidelines, primarily requiring people to remain at least six feet apart, to limit contamination.

Countywide shutdown has increasingly become slackened with more and more people taking to the streets.

More vehicles ran unchecked on Saturday, though the government was planning to extend the general holidays till May 16. More CNG-run auto-rickshaws and rickshaws were out in the streets as there was no shortage of passengers.

Shops without groceries are banned under the lockdown order, but many such shops resumed business in alleyways.

The authorities so far put at least 46 districts under total lockdown and 15 more under partial lockdown as the novel coronavirus has spread across 63 districts,  sparing only Rangamati.

The two city corporations in the capital and Dhaka Metropolitan Police have relocated major kitchen markets to open spaces before Ramandan began in an attempt to ease overcrowding.

This effort, however, become almost ineffectual as people are still gathering at market places without maintaining lockdown order and social distancing rules.

Old Dhaka’s Naya Bazar kitchen market was moved to Armanitola sports ground, but shoppers and traders were seen reluctant in maintaining social distancing, said Armanitola Social Welfare Association’s president Zakir Hossain.

Dhaka South City Corporation chief estate officer Rasel Sabrin told New Age that they moved 14 major kitchen markets to nearby open spaces to avoid overcrowding.

Dhaka North City Corporation has relocated all of its 15 major kitchen markets to open spaces, but the effort did not have any major impact, said DNCC chief revenue officer Abdul Hamid Mia.

He said that they put demarcations for shoppers at kitchen markets but people hardly follow those.

Gathering at Karwan Bazar kitchen market was managed to some extent, but other markets in Mohammadpur, Mirpur-1, Mirpur-6, Banani and other areas are remaining overcrowded from morning to afternoon.

Nurul Islam Ratan, a ward councilor of Mohammadpur area, said that they were asking people not to gather unnecessarily at market places, but since Ramadan began more people were seen outdoors and in the markets it was business as usual.

Meanwhile, many clothing shops and furniture shops were seen resuming business at alleyways in Mirpur and Rupnagar areas although there is a ban on all shops other than grocery shops.

Police presence has been gradually becoming thinner since few days ago following a dramatic increase in the number of infection in the police force.

A total of 232 police personnel were tested positive recently, raising the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the police force to 741 across the country, which is almost half the members of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Some DMP members said that they were afraid of more spread of the virus among them which had an impact in their vigilance.

DMP deputy commissioner for media Masudur Rahman, however, told New Age that they were giving more protective equipment and sanitizing their barracks to boost morale of their personnel.

Police have put ban on street iftar shops during Ramadan, but some vendors were seen selling iftar items in Bhatara area on the afternoon.

Some restaurants were selling iftar items at Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Khilgaon, Baily Road, Old Dhaka and other areas and everywhere shoppers gathered without paying much attention to social distancing norms.

Meanwhile, Dhaka-bound garment workers were still seen on Shimulia-Kathalbari ferry route.

Mawa river police outpost in-charge Shirajul Islam said that since morning hundreds of passengers were coming from Kathalbari terminal and reached Shimulia terminal through ferries and trawlers.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Shimulia terminal deputy general manager Md Shafiqul Islam said that there were limited ferries and less number of passengers on Thursday morning compared to other days.

New Age correspondent from Tangail reported that a huge number of people were rushing back to the capital and its adjacent areas for last few days.

Mostly garments workers from different districts were moving through Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu bridge highway and other roads.

Highway officer in charge of Elenga police outpost inspector Kamal Hossen said that they were stopping vehicles carrying any passenger, but the passengers then were simply walking towards Dhaka.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net