Staff Reporter :
A huge number of people were seen coming back to Dhaka from different districts across Bangladesh by waterways and roads on Sunday amid the ongoing restrictions on public movement and other activities.
On the day, the government allowed the reopening of the shops and shopping malls amid high death and infection rates by coronavirus.
Officials of the authorities concerned said that the pressure of Dhaka bound people increased following the reopening of the shops and shopping malls.
In the morning a huge number of people gathered at Banglabazar ferry terminal and Daulatdia ferry terminal to cross the River Padma to reach Dhaka.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation is plying additional number of ferries on Banglabazar-Shimulia and Daulatdia-Paturia water routes to carry increased number of Dhaka-bound passengers.
Dhaka-bound passengers from the northern districts were seen going to Dhaka via Dhaka-Tangail highway by trucks, pickup vans, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and cars.
The overall situation on the roads in the capital was normal with many vehicles.
The government on April 20 extended the restrictions on public movement and other activities for a week until April 28 midnight from April 21 midnight to contain the upsurge in Covid-19 cases.
On Friday, the Cabinet Division issued a circular allowing all shops and shopping malls to remain open from 10:00am to 5:00pm with effect from April 25 considering the life and livelihood of most of the people of Bangladesh.
Since Sunday morning a huge number of people gathered at Banglabazar ferry terminal area to cross the river.
BIWTC Shimulia ferry terminal manager Shafayet Hossain said, ‘We’re plying nine out of total 16 ferries on the route to carry the passengers,’ he said.
The pressure of other districts-bound passengers from Dhaka was very few, he said.
Shafayet said that during restrictions they only operated two to three ferries a day to carry ambulances or emergency and goods laden vehicles.
As the shops and shopping malls reopened, the pressure of Dhaka-bound people increased, he added.
The rush of Dhaka-bound people was seen at Daulatdia ferry terminal in the morning which decreased in the afternoon. BIWTC Daulatdia ferry terminal assistant general manager (commerce) Feroz Sheikh said that they were operating six small ferries on Daulatdia-Paturia water route.
The corporation deputy general manager (ferry services) Aricha terminal Zillur Rahman said that they usually operate eight to 10 ferries on Paturia-Daulatida route at night to carry the goods-laden vehicles.
New Age correspondent in Tangail reported that on Saturday night some buses ran towards Dhaka from different northern districts with passengers violating the restrictions.
On Sunday on Dhaka-Tangail Highway people were seen going to Dhaka by trucks, pickup vans, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, legunas, motorcycles, cars and micro buses.
