No health monitoring at markets
Authorities of markets, who reopened their shops after government’s clearance on condition that owners would follow health guidelines, are reluctant to put in place the necessary safety measures despite risks of social transmission in absence of government monitoring.
Business leaders expressed their concerns over absence of government co-operation and monitoring as owners of individual shops and markets took inadequate safety measures for themselves and their customers.
Bangladesh Shop Owners Association president Helal Uddin told New Age that roughly 10 per cent of the total shops — mostly small and roadside shops — resumed business on the first day of reopening.
He observed that some market authorities took 70-80 per cent safety measures while others were showing utter reluctance to maintain health guidelines.
He urged the government to take action against them who were risking their own lives as well as the lives of their customers.
During a visit to a number of roadside markets on Elephant Road, Pantha Path, Mirpur Road, Gulistan, Naya Paltan, Bijoynagar, Purana Paltan, Mahakhali, Eskaton Road and Hatirpool areas were seen open but had no facilities for shoppers to get fully sanitised.
Very limited customers were seen to have visited the markets while a huge number of people was seen on city roads.
The presence of police personnel on roads was also less than normal on the day in the time of COVID-19 that infected 14,657 and killed 228 till Sunday.
Market owners said that they took some safety measures, including installing handwashing facilities and ensuring crowd control on the first day of the opening and failed to install other measures as necessary equipment were not available.
They requested government cooperation for getting disinfecting shower facility and incentives for the small shop owners to pay their employee who did not work during the shutdown.
‘Coronavirus is not an individual’s problem, neither is it a concern of any particular market, it is a universal problem. There is no way out without the government’s support in the battle against COVID-19,’ said Shamsur Rahman, deputy general manager of Sunrise Plaza on Mirpur Road.
A number of shop owners said that they were not getting response from customers as they were unwilling to shop amid the pandemic.
‘We have opened the shop on a trial basis. If we fail to attract customers, we will soon decide on our next step,’ said Arifur Rahman, owner of a garment shop on Dhanmondi Road No 27.
On May 4, the government decided to reopen shopping malls on a ‘limited scale’ under some conditions ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest festival of Muslims, even though the decision came under intense criticism from public health experts.
Freedom fighter-doctor professor Quazi Quamruzzaman said that government should continue the shutdown for some more days as till now shutting down was the best policy to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
All shop owners in the capital and elsewhere in the country decided to keep their businesses shuttered from March 24 when coronavirus infection rate began to increase and the government was reluctant to take any quick decision.
Commerce minister Tipu Munshi on Thursday said that shop owners and market authorities would decide whether to reopen their establishments before Eid, but those who choose to open must follow the health guidelines provided by the health ministry.
Most of the markets, including Dhaka New Market, Gauchhia Market, Baitul Mukarram Market, Stadium Market, Gulistan-Fulbaria belt markets, Mouchack Market, Bashundhara Shopping Mall, Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka and markets in Chattogram, Sylhet and Mymensingh decided not to open.
Though Gauchhia market did not open, workers of different shops gathered under the footbridge near New Market and staged a demonstration for about one hour until 12:30pm by blocking the adjacent Mirpur road demanding their salaries and festival bonuses.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
