UNB :
Police arrested 1077 people and fined 937 vehicles as greater number of impatient people ventured on the streets violating lockdown restrictions on the eighth day Thursday.
The arrestees were out on the streets violating restrictions, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam.
Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 1600790 as fines from 318 people.
During this time, the Traffic Division collected Tk 2153500 as penalties from vehicles for failing to comply with coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
But when the fear of death is not enough to contain people at home, it’s only natural that fines and arrests across the nation hardly become effective.
The capital city saw more cars and city dwellers wandering on the main roads and alleys on the eighth day of the strict lockdown, only a day after Covid-19 claimed 201 lives in Bangladesh, it’s highest ever.
While the nation gasps for breath on one side, Dhaka streets are gradually returning to its usual busy traffic and crowds on the other, even more so after the reopening of banks on Monday. As usual, the alleys are seen to be more crowded than the main roads.
Going through Mohakhali , Uttara, Farmgate, Panthapath , KarwanBazar, Banglamotor and Shahbag areas, UNB reporters saw increased number of vehicles on streets compared to the last seven days of lockdown.
Some of these areas even saw traffic congestion, which was noticeably absent on the first few days of strict regulations.
Traffic Inspector of Mohakhali zone Asaduzzaman told UNB , ” We saw traffic congestion in Mohakhali from 8:30 pm to -11:30 on Thursday morning. Although it has decreased in the afternoon, we believe the same scenario will return in the evening after offices close today.”
“However many vehicles have been fined as they failed to provide satisfactory reasons for coming out,” he added.
Traffic Inspector of Uttara Zone Akhter Hossain said,” Although I can’t provide a specific number at this moment, I think I have seen more vehicles and rickshaws on streets today compared to the last few days of lockdown.”
“Most of the people either said they are going to the banks or going to their workplace at garment factories,” he added.
Dhaka woke up to deserted roads as Bangladesh entered a stringent lockdown on July 1.
However, the number of vehicles and people on the streets gradually increased every day amid a worsening pandemic situation despite the law enforcers fining and even detaining people for violating regulations.
