A hurried return

As the government has allowed factories to reopen from August 1, workers have begun returning to the capital. The journey amid a lockdown is not only a struggle, but also takes a financial toll.

With public transport still shut, commuters had to pay two to three times higher fares as they boarded rickshaws, trucks, auto-rickshaws and vans just to get home before their factories reopen. The photos were taken from Munshiganj's Shimulia ferry terminal, Madaripur's Banglabazar ferry terminal, Munshiganj's Mawa ferry terminal, Mymensingh Bypass area in Gazipur, Sirajganj Moor and Gabtoli-Amin Bazar area and Savar area of the capital. 

Shimulia-Bangla Bazar ferry terminal

Shimulia-Banglabazar ferry terminal has seen a mad-rush of Dhaka bound people on the 9th day of the re-imposed strict lockdown. Photo: TBS

The bare minimum of the health and safety guidelines, provided by WHO to curb the spread of coronavirus, has not been maintained in the boarding areas and inside the ferry itself. Total disregard of social distancing and mask-wearing has been seen among the commuter on Saturday. Photo: TBS

People have been seen risking personal safety to climb aboard these ferries at the Banglabazar-Shimulia ferry terminals in attempts to reach the capital despite the strict lockdowns and the interm ban on the operation of public transport. Photo: TBS

Women and children have been seen to suffer the most during this transport crisis as boarding a ferry is a challenge in its own right for them due to huge crowds at the docking areas. Getting off it is another challenge altogether as parkouring out of a ferry is difficult for the most athletic of people and as a result, have become a painstaking activity for women and children. Photo: TBS

Lack of public transport along with the scorching heat has heightened the sufferings of these Dhaka-bound commuters and the on and off rains has only worsened road conditions for them to reach their desired destination, the capital. Photo: TBS

Arriving at Shimuliaghat, the Dhaka-bound passengers have been seen leaving for the destination of Dhaka in small vehicles, avoiding the police check post on the road. Photo: TBS

Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway:

As the confirmation to re-opening factories reached its workforce, factory workers have been seen returning to their workplaces in Gazipur in huge groups. They have been trying to reach the workplace in different ways including trucks, pickups and autorickshaws from different districts of the country since morning. Photo: TBS

People have been trying to reach the workplace in different ways including trucks, pickups and autorickshaws from different districts of the country since morning. Photo: TBS

Mawa ferry terminal Munshiganj: 

Huge crowds of people have been seen at the Mawa ferry terminal in Munshiganj on Saturday. Disregarding social distancing and health and hygiene rules of preventing Covid-19, people have been seen boarding and getting off ferries and relying on small transports to reach Dhaka. Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed

These huge number of people have to rely on small vehicles like private cars, motorbikes and other forms of personal transportation to reach their desired destinations paying almost 3-4 times the regular fare. Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed

According to experts, overcrowded ferries with near to no social distancing space have become Covid transmission hotspots during these lockdown commutes to the capital. This photo has been taken from the Mawa ferry terminal in Munshiganj on Saturday. Photo: Salah Uddin Ahmed.

Sirajganj: 

Seeing no public transport in sight, people in Sirajganj have been seen climbing aboard trucks, pickups and other goods carrying vehicles and endure the 200 so odd kilometre journey to the capital on Saturday. Photo: TBS

Climbing aboard over-crowded vehicles has become a challenge for these commuters. With minimum to no safety measures for passengers, these vehicles carry huge loads of people a very long distance. And as seen in the photo, no social distancing measure has been maintained during the transport of desperate commuters to the city on Saturday. Photo: TBS.

Gabtoli:

Dhaka bound commuters are forced to rely on rickshaws and vans entering into the capital due to the public transport crisis during strict lockdowns on Saturday. Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed

Huge traffic gridlocks were seen at that entrance of the capital in the Gablitoli area as commuters use rented personal vehicles to enter the city on Saturday. Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed

Famished from their long and troublesome commute to the city, people are buying edibles from roadside shops and hawkers to gain some energy to carry on. This photo has been taken from the Gabtoli area of the city on Saturday. Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed

Gazipur:

Police officials have been seen checking and fining these overcrowded vehicles in the Gabtoli area to disperse the crowds and aid in maintaining social distance among people. Photo: TBS

Finding no public transport on road and private transportation seeking 3-4 times the regular face, commuters on Saturday have been seen to travel on foot with heavy baggage to their workplaces in Gazipur. Photo: TBS

Small private transport vehicles have been seen demanding 3-4 times the regular fare from desperate commuters during these lockdown commutes. This photo has been taken in the Dhaka Gazipur highway area in Gazipur. Photo: TBS