Mad rush of people on Bangladesh roads, ferries

A mad rush of people was seen on the major water channels across the River Padma on Saturday after the announcement of a strict countrywide lockdown on Friday from Monday to contain the surge of Covid cases.

The government on Saturday, however, decided to enforce the countrywide ‘strict lockdown’ from July 1 for a week in a revision of its Friday decision.

A high-level meeting virtually chaired by home affairs minister Asaduzzaman Khan  revised the decision considering the end of the fiscal year on June 30 and government activities related to it, said a senior official concerned.

The lockdown would remain in force on a ‘limited scale’ from Monday, the official said.

Frantic movement of people through ferry routes and some major highways continued despite risks of coronavirus infection amid the ongoing restrictions in seven districts around Dhaka and the lax monitoring of the compliance with the curbs.

Hundreds of people, mostly on foot, crowded the ferries on the Shimulia–Kazirhat, Aricha–Kazirhat and Paturia–Daulatdia routes throughout the day to reach destinations in the south and south-western districts.

The Press Information Department on Friday in a handout said that a weeklong countrywide ‘strict lockdown’ would be enforced from June 28 and the Cabinet Division would issue a circular on Saturday providing further details about the lockdown.

The Cabinet Division, however, did not issue any circular on the day.

A senior official concerned said that the circular was now expected to be issued today as the authorities were reviewing the whole situation.    

On Saturday, children, elderly people and women were seen getting on ferries, many risking their lives, where no social distancing was maintained.

A huge number of people were seen without mask on the ferries and roads while an increased number of cars also boarded the ferries leaving the Shimulia and Aricha terminals.

Many people also continued to leave the capital city through different exit points while many others came to the city to stay present at workplaces or join families.

With uncertainties over the fresh lockdown, travellers had to go through usual sufferings on their journeys like increased transport fares and unavailability of public transports.

Taking advantage of the situation, illegal vehicles also operated on roads. 

The government earlier, on June 16, extended the countrywide restrictions on public movement and activities, which began on April 5 in the wake of the new surge in Covid cases, for the 10th time till July 15 amid widespread violations.

Besides, the Cabinet Division on June 21 in an order said that all public activities in general 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, with movement of public transports like inter-district buses, trains, launches, trawlers and speedboats suspended.

Meanwhile, the technical advisory committee on Covid-19 on Thursday unanimously recommended at least a 14-day complete ‘shutdown’ across the country to contain the soaring spread of the disease.

Until 8:00am on Saturday, about 23 per cent of samples tested across the country were found infected with Covid-19, the highest rate of positivity recorded in 77 days, as per the Directorate General of Health Services.

The New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that since Saturday morning the rush of people from and to Dhaka crossing the Shimulia–Banglabazar channel increased following the news of the countrywide strict lockdown.

Some of the passengers told New Age that they were leaving Dhaka as the fresh lockdown was coming.

Abdus Salam, a passenger from Keraniganj, said that he and three other people came to Shimulia by hiring a CNG-run auto for Tk 1,000.

In the morning many passengers from Barishal were seen walking to Mawa as launches were not available.

Moidul Islam, a passenger from Khulna, said that he, along with others, came to the Banglabazar terminal by a Mahindra – an illegal vehicle – without any obstruction.

As the number-3 pontoon in the terminal went under water people were seen jumping on the pontoon risking accidents. 

Mawa river police inspector Sirajul Kabir said that many people were coming to Shimulia on foot.

Fourteen ferries were operating on the Shimulia–Banglabazar route which ferries were stipulated to use to shift only emergency-service vehicles, he added.

Many cars, ambulances and other vehicles were seen stranded at these terminals due to huge pressure of both pedestrians and vehicles.

Munshiganj district additional superintendent of police Sumon Deb said that they had set up some check-posts on the Dhaka–Mawa highway.

On May 12 five people died and 12 others fell sick in crowd pressure coupled with the heat of the scorching sun on two ferries at the Banglabazar end of the Shimulia–Banglabazar ferry route.

The New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that many people were leaving Dhaka and adjacent districts for the 21 south-western districts using the Aricha–Kazirhat and Paturia–Daulatdia channels.

They came by rickshaws, vans, motorcycles, CNG-run auto rickshaws and microbuses paying very high fares and changing transports at different points as long-route bus services remained out of operation.

‘I have been working at a cloth shop for seven years and live in a rented house at Nabinagar with my family,’ said Md Akkas at the Aricha terminal, adding, ‘As everything will be closed during the lockdown we’re going to our ancestral home.’

Hazera, another passenger at the same terminal, said that she worked as a cook at Ashulia and all those for whom she worked had already left for their village home due to the lockdown.

‘In such a situation what should I do in Dhaka? Eid is also approaching,’ she added.

Another passenger Sobhan said that he had changed transports five times to come from Nabinagar to Manikganj by paying Tk 160 and walking some distance as the administrations obstructed vehicular movements at some points. 

Shibaloy police station officer-in-charge Md Firoz Kabir said that they had set up check-posts on the way to Aricha and Paturia terminals and on the Dhaka-Aricha highway to check vehicular movement but people kept coming anyway.

News Courtesy-https://www.newagebd.net/article/142008/mad-rush-of-people-on-bangladesh-roads-ferries