People rushing for home defying virus risk

Thousands of people from Dhaka are rushing for home to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr without taking proper health safety measures including social distancing to prevent Covid-19 infection.

As public transportation has been halted home-bound passengers are seen overflowing in private cars, micro-buses and other small vehicles in different highways.

Most of the small vehicles are taking extra passengers. Some people are also seen walking a long way on the highways and battling to get a vehicle.

Eyewitnesses claimed members of the law enforcing agencies are not opposing these kinds of risky journeys on the highways.

Many people are boarding on cargo trucks, pickups, covered-vans to avoid police, they said.

Jahurul Islam was going to Rajbari on Sunday and said that he had seen at least 20 covered vans which were carrying hundreds of people including children in an inhuman way. 

"We saw some police in Gabtoli and Manikganj check posts but they did not check the vehicles," he said.

Manikganj Superintendent of Police, Rifat Rahman Shamim said, "We are keeping eyes relentlessly but it's not possible to check every vehicle at every moment."

Every year around 20 million residents of Dhaka leave the city during two Eid festivals. But this year Bangladesh is going through a nationwide shutdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Nazmus Sakib, assistant commissioner (North Traffic) of Gazipur Metropolitan Police told The Business Standard that they are pulling over at least three to four trucks and covered vans carrying RMG workers at every hour.

"It's been so difficult to refrain the RMG workers from going home on trucks or pick-up vans. They are agitated and a large in number," he said.

Kamran Hossen, assistant superintendent of Tangail Modhupur circle, said that the rush on Dhaka-Tangail highway is quite normal.

Jisan Haque, assistant superintendent of Narayanganj Highway zone, said most of the people are going home on this way with private vehicle.

"Carrying people on trucks or covered vans is rare in Dhaka-Chattogram highway though we are alert to curb such misdeed," he added.

Tania Sultana, additional superintendent of police, Rajbari, said the ferry services have been resumed since Thursday.

 "The influx in the last two days is less than that of the previous three-four days. Now, most of the home goers are low-income people," she said.

Experts warn that the ferry terminals will begin to be flooded again when these people will begin their journey back to Dhaka after Eid and it could bring another wave of Covid-19 infection.