Crowds swell at markets despite rising COVID-19 infections
Customers swelled at markets in the capital and elsewhere ahead of Eid, within days they were reopened, without maintaining proper health guidelines while COVID-19 infections kept rising in the country.
Though most markets in the city are violating government health guidelines the authorities were found indifferent to taking action against shoppers while in many districts authorities shut the markets again and fined businessmen as well the customers.
Business leaders on Friday said that despite repeated requests they could not control the rush of customers.
The customers do not maintain social distancing, do not wash hands and do not wear masks even in the markets, they said.
Bangladesh Shop Owners Association president Helal Uddin said that the local administration in Rajshahi, Kushtia, Tangail, Manikganj and other districts again shut the markets but shops in Dhaka markets were running as usual.
Business leaders said that more shops were reopening as crowds of customers were increasing ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of the Muslims.
The government allowed the markers to reopen after which the number of COVID-19 patients crossed the 20,000 mark and 298 died of the disease till Friday.
During the visits to markets on Elephant Road, Mirpur Road and at Shahjadpur, Kuril and Panthapath a huge rush of customers were found in those shopping centres where health guidelines were seen to be grossly violated, especially at the roadside shops.
On Mirpur road, innumerable customers were noticed on a buying spree at vendors’ shops although the government has banned street hawkers.
The New Age district correspondents in Sylhel, Barishal and Madaripur reported that huge numbers of customers rushed to shops and markets in the disricts violating the health guidelines.
Our Barishal correspondent reported that four mobile courts were operated by the Barishal district administration Friday noon which fined nine shopkeepers and customers Tk.48, 900 for violating the social distancing rule during shopping.
Subrata Biswas, executive magistrate in charge of the district administration media cell, said that magistrates of the district ran mobile courts in various city areas, including Sadar Road, Chawk Bazaar, Hemayet Uddin Road, Bazaar Road, Rupatali, Natunbazar.
He said that the mobile courts fined shopkeepers for doing business with crowding people violating the social distancing requirement and consumers for unnecessary roaming, coming to market with children and not maintaining social distancing.
On May 10, markets across the country reopened after the government gave permission on conditions that the owners would ensure the compliance with the health guidelines that include providing hand washing facilities, ensuring social distancing and wearing masks by both sellers and shoppers.
Earlier on May 7, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police issued a set of directives for shoppers and businesses.
According to the instructions, the owners could reopen their shops ensuring heath safety measures, including ensuring social distancing by drawing demarcation circles in front of each shop and arranging for facilities for hand washing or disinfection and maintaining separate entry and exit points.
The DMP asked shoppers to wear masks, maintain stipulated distance, not to visit shops located beyond two kilometres from areas of residence and to show their identification cards or passports or driving licenses or utility bill receipts at entry points of markets and shopping centres in order to locate their residential areas.
DMP deputy commissioner Masudur Rahman claimed that police shut a number of shops in the city for violating health guidelines.
He, however, could not give any exact figure of shops shut but said that actions would be taken against them.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
