Bangladesh extends lacklustre restrictions again

The government on Sunday extended Covid restrictions on public movement and business activities till May 30 midnight from May 23 midnight, allowing all public transports, including those on inter-district routes, to resume services on conditions today amid widespread violations.

The Cabinet Division issued a circular relaxing movement of inter-district public transports at a time when buses were operating even on highways with ferries crossing rivers with crowds of passengers amid risk of Covid infections.

Experts fear that the relaxation of the restrictions may cause further surge in cases of Covid-19 that has already killed 12,376 people and infected at least 7,89,080 so far since the deadly coronavirus was first detected in the country on March 8, 2020.

All transports, including those operate on inter-district routes, will have to keep half of the seats vacant while passengers and others concerned must maintain health rules like wearing masks, said the circular.

Inter-district buses, trains and launches are going to resume services after 48 days as the ban on public transports and movement of people outside was first imposed on April 5 and it was extended in phases to contain the coronavirus infections.

Virologist Nazrul Islam told New Age on Sunday that if the current situation continued, the infection rate would increase.

‘Everything is on paper now but nothing in reality,’ said Nazrul, also a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 and a former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

He said that three medical components — testing, extreme isolation and quarantine — had to be included in the restriction programme to eradicate the virus from the country.

Health minister Zahid Maleque on May 17 told reporters that his ministry had recommended continuation of the restrictions for a few more days to contain the Covid outbreak as many people had left for village homes for Eid-ul-Fitr celebrated on May 14.

The restrictions are now only in effect from today for all government and non-government offices excepting those providing emergency services and public movement without emergency.

Most private offices are already operating in the   Covid situation ignoring the restrictions.

The restrictions have been largely ignored by people and many have travelled from one district to another during the period, raising the risk of infections.

The circular said that restaurants would now be allowed to serve customers keeping half of their seats vacant.

Widespread violations of social distancing and wearing masks are now visible everywhere — shopping malls, kitchen markets, roads, worship places and other public places — around the country.

Earlier, the Cabinet Division on April 4 issued an 11-point instruction, restricting public movement outside home between 6:00pm and 6:00am without an emergency, closing all markets and shopping malls, banning the operation of all modes of public transport, including domestic flights, limiting the banking hours and the trading time at kitchen markets and shops of essentials between April 5 and April 11.

Then, the government extended the restrictions on April 14 and lastly on May 16, it again extended the restrictions by another week till May 23 midnight, keeping the ban on inter-district buses, trains and launches.

In the meantime, the authorities allowed all banks to continue their activities daily for a limited period from April 14, allowed domestic flight operation on all but Cox’s Bazar route from April 21, reopened shops and shopping malls from April 25 and allowed intra-district public transports from May 3.

The government has extended restrictions on the movement of passengers through land ports with India, up to May 31, as the surge in coronavirus cases continues in India while goods will continue to cross.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder told New Age on Sunday that the inter-district bus services would resume from today following health regulations.

He also said that the bus fares would be charged with a 60 per cent increase.

At a programme at Rail Bhaban on Sunday, railways minister Nurul Islam Sujan said that 56, out of 108 intercity trains, and 18, out of 127 local trains, would resume services from Monday.

Some 50 per cent tickets would be sold online only, he said, adding that 50 per cent passengers would be carried against the capacity of each train.

The minister also told New Age that gradually, services of all trains would be resumed.

Shipping secretary Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury told New Age that on Monday, all launches would resume services with half the capacity and 60 per cent increase in fare.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/138581/bangladesh-extends-lacklustre-restrictions-again