Traffic gets thicker in Dhaka along with commuter crowd

Traffic on Dhaka streets got thicker along with larger crowd of commuters on the 11th day of “strict lockdown” on Monday after export-oriented factories were opened.

People continued to enter Dhaka on the day on private vehicles and goods-laden vehicles.

Despite crowd of vehicles, a large number of people were also seen walking to reach their destinations.

Spots visits by The Business Post to different points in the capital including Gabtali, Syedabad, Uttara, Mohakhali, Mirpur, Pallabi, Bijoy Sarani, Badda, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and Bangla Motor found thick traffic and crowd people.

Md Sohel Rahman, a traffic inspector at Pallabi, told The Business Post, “Crowd of people is increasing on streets comparing to past few days. There are many commuters out on the streets as mills and factories were opened on August 1.”

Rahim Miah was entering Dhaka through Gabtali. “I had to return Dhaka from Barishal as I work for a garment factory. I have to join works tomorrow,” he said.

Amena Begum was walking past Mirpur 1 carrying baggage. “Mills are reopened amid the lockdown and it forced me to return from my village home,” she said.

Earlier on July 28, the Bangladesh Bank extended the bank transaction time by an hour for August 2-5 excepting August 4.

On July 30, the government allowed the resumption of production at export-oriented factories from August 1.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the nationwide death toll due to Covid-19 crossed 20,000 mark and the caseload crossed 1.2 million.

Earlier, on July 13, the government eased lockdown restrictions for eight days on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha and resumed it on July 23. The lockdown will be in force till August 5.