Gulam Rabbani :
People are coming down in the street defying the shutdown amid strict surveillance of the law enforcers.
Many day-labourers and the low-income people are forced to come down in the street for their livelihood, said the insiders.
Abdur Rashid, a rickshawpuller, said he was maintaining stay at home programme to avoid coronavirus risk for a week. But, he had to come down in the street for his livelihood. Shahidul Islam, a CNG run auto-rickshaw driver mentioned the same cause.
Meanwhile, the police members are shutting down many rickshaw and auto-rickshaw garages to execute the instruction of staying at home during the general holidays declared by the government to combat the virus Covid-19 and to prevent spread of it. Police on Thursday morning shutdown a rickshaw garage and an auto-rickshaw garage of Alim Mistri in the Dhaka Udyan area. The same scenario was seen in other areas in the city.
The police members said, after the announcement of the general holidays from March 26, the road was tightened, but the situation gets loose gradually. Due to this, people have become unconscious and we have to take strong action.
Aktar Miah, owner of a rickshaw garage in Adabor area of the city, said there were more than 50 rickshaws in his garage. Only 10/12 rickshaws were allowed to move in the city in last 4/5 days, but police forced him to shutdown the garage fully since Wednesday night.
Inspector (Investigation) of Tejgaon Police Station Kamal Uddin told the reporters that police are now giving the highest priority to public health awareness. Police are doing all they can to maintain the social distancing. Therefore, rickshaw and auto-rickshaw garages have been closed in the areas.
