Syed Shemul Parvez :
Home-bound people are leaving the city on the occasion of Eid, even in the dark of night, ignoring the fear of corona infection and without caring anything.
The long distance bus service is now an open secret. The staffs are taking extra fare to cover the risk.
Some are going by private cars or trucks.
Sources said that bus owners and workers have not responded to the government’s announcement of no long-distance bus services during the lockdown.
In the last 24 hours, more than 500 long distance buses have crossed the Bangabandhu Bridge. Every bus was overcrowded.
After Iftar on Saturday (May 8), small gatherings were seen at the Abdullahpur bus stand. Although tickets were sold from the ticket counters, they stopped selling tickets after sensing the presence of media.
Meantime, a bus ready to leave for North Bengal was seen at Kamarpara a short distance away from Abdullahpur.
When a bus helper was asked as to how the bus will depart despite the ongoing ban, he said if they spend a few thousand taka, it is possible to take the road.
The same picture was seen at Gabtoli bus terminal of the capital. Thousands of homebound people were found there.
Many are traveling in different ways on foot. Many are waiting for hours.
At this, the brokers are eager to pick up the passengers in the car for the profit.
According to sources, those who cannot go by bus or private car at high prices have resorted to freight transport.
One of the homebound passengers said that he was going home to celebrate Eid with his family.
But the car is not available. Although cars are available, tickets are not available. So I have to go home by truck.
When asked about the reason of leaving Dhaka, another passenger said actually I have become jobless due to lockdown.
Besides, Dhaka is very expensive to survive. If I go to village, I can easily manage food, he added. This crowd of Eid journey may increase in the next few days.
Meanwhile, Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Banglabazar waterways murmur with thousands of homebound Eid passengers.
There is no way to stop the passengers going home. On Sunday, though the BGB was deployed , thousands of people of South Bengal were coming to the ghat, ignoring it. This crowd is growing more and more as the day progresses. At that time, many passengers become frustrated for the uncertainty of the journey.
Going to the ghats, it was seen that everyone has gathered at the ghats to celebrate Eid with their families or relatives. They have been standing for hours risking of corona infection.
