UNB, Dhaka :
Residents of Dhaka woke up to deserted roads as the Covid-19 lockdown in Bangladesh entered the fourth day on Saturday.
The complete lockdown, which came into effect on April 14 morning to contain the spread of Covid, will continue till April 21 midnight.
On Saturday, fewer private vehicles were seen plying on the city’s roads as most of the otherwise busy stretches, including Bijoy Sarani and Mirpur Road, remained empty.
At all the important junctions of the city, the police have set up barricades and check posts to monitor the movement of vehicles as well as people.
Rickshaws, which provide last-mile connectivity to the residents, were, however, seen plying in the bylanes. Kitchen markets in the city too remained open though the footfall was low as compared to other days.
Traffic inspector Akhter (Uttara Rajlaxmi area) told UNB, “With fewer private vehicles on the city’s roads as compared to the last three days, there is virtually no congestion in the city. Though some rickshaw pullers attempted to ply on the main roads, we did not allow them.”
Another traffic inspector in the Mohakhali area, who did not wish to be named, said, “Three check-posts have been set up in the area and we are allowing only those with movement passes to go. Many people have been booked for venturing out without valid reasons.”
Though shopping malls and shops on main roads remained closed, some groceries in residential localities were allowed to operate for few hours in the morning to enable people to buy their daily essentials.
A surge in coronavirus cases prompted the government to go for a complete
lockdown. On Friday, the country recorded 101 deaths – its highest single-day fatality – and 4,417 new cases.
During the lockdown, all government, semi-government, autonomous, private offices and financial institutions will remain closed.
All modes of public transport, including those of road, river, railway and air, will remain suspended.
However, the restrictions will not apply to emergency services. Industries and factories have also been allowed to operate but on condition of maintaining health protocols.
The offices, staffers and vehicles of the organisations providing emergency services, including law enforcement, agricultural products (fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, machinaries), crops, relief distribution, health services, power, water, gas, fire services, port activities, media (print and electronic media) and postal services, have been kept out of the purview of the restrictions.
People’s movement will be restricted and no one will be allowed to go outside except for emergency needs (to purchase medicines, daily essentials, to take medical services and burial/ cremation of bodies, taking Covid-19 jabs etc).
Hotels and restaurants can operate with takeaway/online services only from 12 pm to 7 pm and from 12 am to 6 am.
The government imposed a ‘loose’ nationwide lockdown for one week from April 5 as part of its move to contain the spike in both coronavirus infections and fatalities.
But the government allowed the resumption of public transport in city corporation areas from April 7 as well as reopening shops and shopping malls for five days from April 9 in the face of protests against the lockdown.
