Syed Shemul Parvez :
Hygiene is not being maintained in city’s shopping malls-markets and hawker markets properly.
As a result market congestion may increase infection again across the country.
Sources said after the start of coronavirus infection in the country, disinfection tunnels were set up at the entrances of various government-private offices as well as market-shopping malls in the capital after the lockdown last year.
These disinfection tunnels play an important role in preventing corona infection.
But at present, no disinfectant tunnel can be seen in front of most of the gates of New Market, New Super and Chandrima Super Market.
Although there are two or three old tunnels, these are inactive and unused.
The authorities have no eye on that.
Meanwhile, the gathering of people inside the market has increased a lot ahead of Eid. Despite repeated warnings, health safety rules were hardly followed by people in shopping malls. This increases the risk of corona.
On Thursday, after visiting the capital’s New Market, Chandnichak, Gauchia and some of the surrounding markets, it was seen that all most shopping malls become crowded at noon.
It takes a long time to go from one end to the other. But proper hygiene is not being observed anywhere.
Even some shopping malls did not use any disinfecting liquid, temperature measuring device and separate passage for incoming and outgoing customers.
Although there is hand sanitizer at one or two entrances, most people ignore it. In this regard, the owner of Hassan Garments in New Market, Tawhid, said that it must be admitted that it is not possible to follow proper hygiene rules in the market. We are trying our best. We have protective materials like hand sanitizer in the store.
However, buyers also need to be aware. I see many buyers are not aware of hygiene, he added.
Meantime, buyers have expressed dissatisfaction with the reluctance of the authorities regarding hygiene in the markets.
Faruque Hossain, who came to shop with his family, said that although the market was supposed to be run in compliance with the health rules, the market authorities did not take any strict steps in this regard. I did not see any disinfectant tunnel at any gate of the market. But this issue should have been given the most importance.
Poly Begum, who came from Sahidnagar for shopping, said, “I came to the market under pressure of my children.
We have seen in the different news that the markets will be managed properly on health safety. But when I come, I see the opposite picture. In addition to the sanitizer system, both buyers and sellers should wear masks, she added.
When contacted with Helal Uddin, President of Bangladesh Shop Owners Association, he told the media that we have set up separate committees for shops in each market and shopping malls.” the responsibility of the committees is to look into these matters.
It is not possible to look after all this at the field level with our new committee, Helal added.
Mentionable that shop owners, who were crying for reopening of their outlets by maintaining hygiene rules a few weeks ago, did not maintain the health guidelines. Rather, they were busy to deal with increased number of customers.
On the other hand, Health Minister Zahid Malek fears that corona infections may increase if the shops are crowded and for non-compliance with hygiene rules.
The minister also claimed that the ongoing lockdown was quite ‘effective’ in reducing coronavirus infections.
