Mizanur Rahman
The city dwellers, especially the middle and lower-income groups, were in a rush to leave the capital on Monday ahead of the second spell of lockdown beginning from Wednesday.
A fresh gazette notification was also issued on the day announcing wider restrictions for a week to curb COVID-19 infection. The Cabinet Division in its notification said that the restrictions would be effective from 6:00am April 14 to midnight April.
Long-distance bus services remained suspended since April 5 when the first spell of lockdown was imposed.
At the inter-city bus terminals at Gabtali, Sayadabad, and Mohakhali, and bus stops at Shaymoli, Kalabagan, Kalyanpur, people who intended to leave the city were suffering much as there were not enough vehicles.
Many people were seen opting for alternative transports like mini truck, pickup van, CNG-run auto-rickshaw, car and motorbikes.
Ali Ahmed Khan, Superintendent of Police for the Gazipur region’s Highway Police, told The Business Post that they were working since April 5 to implement the government directives.
Hannan Hossain, owner of a tea stall at Rayerbazar, was waiting for going to Bogura from Kalyanpur bus stand. He said many people were hiring cars from there. "As they are charging much, I am not able to choose a car. Many people also using truck and pick up van," he said.
"I will have to keep my shop closed during the fresh spell of lockdown. So, I want to stay with my family in Bogura. I am looking for an alternative to reach my hometown," he said.
Sahjahan Mia, a day labourer, who works Kawranbazar kitchen market said he started for Kurigram from Gabtali on a broken journey.
He joined eight other passengers at Gabtoli and they first headed for Chandra and hoped to manage something to reach home.
“If we fail to get anything then, we would go to the next stoppage and look for some vehicles,” he said.
Mohiuddin Tuhin, an electronics shop owner at Mirpur, hired a car from Framgate for his family for going to the village home.
"My shop is open but sales are almost zero. The shop will be closed from Wednesday. So, I will go to my home town with family," he said.
Md Mir Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Mainamati highway police station in Cumilla, said that their team was monitoring microbus, pick-up van or other vehicles so that they cannot carry passengers. "We forced many passengers to get off such vehicles today," he said.
The government notification said that offices of all public, private and autonomous bodies would remain closed during the period and officials would stay in their respective work stations.
Industries and factories, however, would continue to operate maintaining necessary health guidelines, said the notification. Factory owners would have to ensure the transports for the workers, it added.
All public transports, including international flights, would remain suspended during the period, the notification said.
Emergency services, naval, air and land ports are kept out of the purview of the restriction.
The restrictions came two days after state minister for public administration Farhad Hossain said that the government was considering a ‘strict’ lockdown for a week from April 14 amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.
Earlier, the government issued another one-week lockdown from April 5 which has continued till April 13.
Bangladesh on Monday reported another 83 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the highest in a single day since the first case was reported in March 2020.
Meanwhile, the number of infections from the virus again hit the 7,000-mark as 7,201 new cases were detected during this period.
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