People suffer amid slack restrictions

The government’s fresh weeklong restrictions on public movement and businesses were ignored in many places in the capital as elsewhere in the country on the first day on Monday.

The government on Sunday issued an 11-point instruction banning operations of all modes of public transport, including domestic flights, across the country effective from 6:00am Monday to contain the second wave of the COVID-19 infections.

Public health and rights activists alleged that the restriction was ‘unplanned’ and ‘unrealistic’, which is likely to fail in containing the virus infection in the absence of its proper enforcement and awareness among the wider public against the deadly virus.

Amid the suspension of services of public transports on roads, waterways and railways, commuters suffered reaching offices and other businesses, which continued as usual, as they were forced to use alternative means of transportation.

Commuters paid much more than usual to reach their destinations.

However some buses ran in the capital at some places flouting the government restrictions.

Rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, motorcycles and cars dominated the roads of the capital like elsewhere in the country while people gathered on roads flouting the basic rule of maintaining social distancing.

Some people were seen roaming around roads and other places without wearing masks.

Hundreds of people from Dhaka on the day thronged the Shimulia ferry terminal for crossing the River Padma to go to the southern districts via Banglabazar for the third consecutive day. Agitated people vandalised an ambulance at the terminal demanding more ferries as only around two ferries operated to clear the congestion created in the area as too many vehicles were waiting to cross the river since the previous night.

Long queues of service seekers were found at different bank branches.

Following the restrictions, the ministries concerned imposed a ban on the movement of buses, passenger vessels and passenger trains for one week period starting from Monday.

Since morning, in Dhaka, people were seen heading for their offices by rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, motorcycles, cars and even by pick-up and rickshaw vans in the absence of buses and minibuses on roads.

In the Rayerbagh area in Jatrabari some buses ran in the morning with standing passengers while people also travelled on pick-up vans.

‘Not all offices are providing transports to carry their employees,’ said a private service holder from Moghbazar area, adding, ‘I am going to office at Mohakhali by rickshaw.’

People gathered in areas including Dhanmondi, Science Lab, Elephant Road, Mirpur, Uttara, Rampura, Banasree, Khilgaon, Shahbag, Banglamotor, Moghbazar and Karwan Bazar and Panthapath, looking for alternative modes of transport while traffic congestion was seen in Uttara and Jatrabari areas.

Rickshaw became the main mode of transport in the capital on the day while they charged higher than usual fares.

Many people hired CNG-run auto-rickshaws on share while the drivers denied running on meters, some passengers alleged.

Few motorcyclists were seen carrying pillion riders while many people walked to their short-haul destinations.

Some police barricades were found on many major roads and at some places police members urged people on the public address system to follow the health regulations.

A RAB mobile court, led by executive Palash Kumar Bosu, fined 25 people Tk 10,000 for breaching of guidelines, including not wearing masks and for roaming around the city without any reason.

No mobile courts under Bangladesh Road Transport Authority operated in the city on the day as buses were not on roads, said Md Sarwar Alam, the authority director of the department of enforcement.

New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that since morning hundreds of people reached Shimulia ferry terminal to cross the river by Shimulia-Banglabazar water route.

At least two ferries were seen carrying vehicles from Shimulia on the day.

Around 2:00pm, the agitated people vandalised an ambulance at 3:00pm in the ferry terminal area demanding more ferries, said Louhajhong station officer-in-charge Alamgir Hossain.

Later they brought the situation under control, he added.

Mawa traffic police sub-inspector Helal Uddin said that at least around one thousand vehicles — mostly private cars — were waiting at the terminal to cross the river while the police were asking them to go back to Dhaka.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation chairman Syed Md Tajul Islam told New Age that on Sunday night ferry services on the route were disrupted for few hours due to thunderstorm.

As a result, many vehicles with passengers got stranded at Shimulia terminal while around two ferries carried the vehicles to the other side, he said, adding that ‘we did this on humanitarian grounds.’

He also said that during the restrictions they would keep one or two ferries at the terminals for emergency crossing. 

In Munshiganj, the restrictions were loosely followed as most of the business organisations remained open.

Most of the people were seen roaming around the city without wearing masks while smaller vehicles continued to run on roads.

No police check post was found on roads.

New Age correspondent in Chattogram reported that since morning rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, motorcycles and cars dominated the port city roads.

In some places, three-wheeler vehicles, mostly tempoes, were seen carrying passengers.

No buses, except some staff buses, were seen on the roads of the port city.

New Age correspondent in Khagrachari reported that the restrictions were largely ignored in areas across the district.

Though businesses on main roads were closed, shops were open in lanes and by-lanes with hawkers on roads.

Public health expert and former president of Bangladesh Medical Association Rashid-e-Mahbub told New Age on Monday that coronavirus could not be prevented without mass vaccination programmes and keenly following the health regulations.

‘Success of the government’s current effort to contain the infection depends on the level of awareness among the people and the proper enforcement by the law enforcing agencies,’ he said.

He observed that the Amar Ekushey Book Fair should remain closed also as the markets were also closed.

Total ‘lockdown’ is not viable in Bangladesh as many poor people go out for works, Rashid continued.

If the infection rate does not reduce after the fresh restrictions then the government would have to look for new ways to deal with the situation, he added.

Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Jyotirmoy Barua observed that the government’s restriction plan was impromptu and rather disorganised.

He said that it was yet to become clear whether these restrictions were linked to the lockdown or general holidays or were just a set of directives to be followed for the time being.

‘The spread of the novel virus will not reduce much following the current initiatives as apart from the public transports all factories and offices are open, which is the reason behind public gatherings on roads,’ he said.

‘Not a single ICU bed was added in last one year and, in this context, how will the  government order for establishing field hospitals for the garments sector at convenient places be followed?’ Jyotirmoy asked.

‘We also need to know what kinds of support would be extended to the working class people — the majority population,’ he continued.

It would also be difficult for the lower-middle and middle-income groups to survive for one month if the restriction period is extended by the government, he added.

Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh secretary general Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury said that the government’s plan was unrealistic and not at all people-friendly.

‘One of my neighbours went to her office at Banglamotor from Sanarpara by using three different modes of transport,’ he said.

From Sanarpara to Jatrabari she shared an auto-rickshaw with other office goers, from Jatrabari to Motijheel she went by bus and from Motijheel she went to Banglamotor by sharing an auto-rickshaw, he said.

‘Mass people are being forced to spend much more than usual to reach their destination,’ Mozammel continued. The infection rate will rise if such condition persists, he feared.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/134562/people-suffer-amid-slack-restrictions