Covid restriction violation on in districts around Dhaka

Violation of the fresh restrictions imposed on public movement and activities in seven districts of Dhaka division to contain the surge in Covid infections continued largely on the second day on Wednesday.

People in the districts were seen continuing daily works outside home as usual amid a lax monitoring.

With restrictions on inter-district buses, launches and train services through the districts, people from middle-income and low-income groups suffered immensely to go to their offices and factories on the day.

Thousands of passengers continued to pay beyond their ability for taking alternative transports, including pickup vans, cars and autos, and changing them on inter-district routes to go to their workplaces.

Seeing this as an opportunity, operators of intra-district buses and CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Dhaka also continued to charge extra.

Some inter-district buses were also seen running on the Dhaka-Narayanganj route while hundreds of people got on ferries to cross the River Padma through the Shimulia-Banglabazar channel.

Passengers also were found crossing the river from Aricha and Paturia terminals by risking their lives on engine-run boats.

Hundreds of people were also seen coming to Dhaka or leaving the city on foot through Gabtoli and Signboard points.

Many people crowded the Kamalapur railway station to return their tickets on Wednesday as the Bangladesh Railway had suspended all passenger train services on the Dhaka route from Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday, the Cabinet Division in an order said that all public activities in general, including public movement, in the districts of Manikganj, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Madaripur, Rajbari and Gopalganj would remain banned from 6:00am on June 22 to June 30 midnight considering the coronavirus situation.

The capital is connected to the rest of the country by roads and rivers.

New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that some people were seen crossing the River Padma from Aricha and Paturia ferry terminals on engine-run boats.

Boatmen charged each passenger Tk 200 instead of the previous fare of Tk 50.

‘When rich people are crossing the river on their cars on ferries, poor people like me are suffering in every possible way,’ said Abul Hossain, a passenger on the Kazirhat route.

Ferries on Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes did not carry any passengers on the day.

New Age correspondent in Narayanganj reported that people from the district continued to go to Dhaka on CNG-run autos and easy bikes on the day.

One of them, Rabiul Islam, told New Age that he had to go to his workplace in Dhaka by spending beyond his ability and wasting time for changing transports.

‘Before the restrictions, the CNG auto fare on the Narayanganj-Signboard route was Tk 20 but the fare now stands at Tk 30 to Tk 50. The bus fare on the Signboard-Gulistan route has also increased to Tk 30-50 from Tk 20,’ he explained. 

Rabiul said that buses were taking passengers crowding inside.

Different buses, including Rajanigandha, Labbaik and Anabil, operated between Dhaka and Signboard in Narayanganj with passengers on the day.

Narayanganj Sadar upazila executive magistrate Arifa Zahura in the noon stopped trawler movement in the River Sitalakhya and allowed boats to take maximum 10 passengers.

After she left, boatmen started to carry 25 to 30 passengers in a boat.

Narayanganj central boat terminal manager Didar Khandakar said that a huge number of workers who live at the port upazila crossed the river to join their workplaces while boatmen charged extra from the workers.

Narayanganj deputy commissioner Md Mostain Billah told New Age that 18 executive magistrates worked on the day at 18 boundary points in the district to check movement of vehicles.

About the crowded buses on the Signboard-Dhaka route, he said that he had informed the authorities in Dhaka about the situation.

New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that people in general violated the restrictions in the district on the second day.

Although there were police check-points at different boundary points in the district, thousands of people were seen on roads as usual while many shopping malls and shops reopened on the day.

Most people also did not follow the health regulations like maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.

As the ferry services on Shimulia-Banglabazar route were active to carry goods laden vehicles, several hundred passengers on foot also got on ferries to cross the River Padma throughout the day defying restrictions.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Shimulia terminal manager Shafayet Ahmed said that the ferries were scheduled to carry only goods laden vehicles during the restriction period.

‘But passengers on foot are getting on every ferry. It is not our responsibility to prevent them from getting on the ferries,’ he added.

In the capital, hundreds of people left, or came to the city through the Gabtoli point on the day without maintaining social distancing and wearing masks in front of the police. 

News Courtesy- https://www.newagebd.net/article/141737/covid-restriction-violation-on-in-districts-around-dhaka