Life under lockdown

It is an unprecedented scene. Streets and lanes are empty with no movement of traffic and people. It seems the time has stopped.

This is how locked down areas in Dhaka city look like now.

The authorities have so far put at least 60 clusters with coronavirus cases on lockdown.

Residents living in the clusters have been asked to stay indoors until further instructions. Law enforcers were seen monitoring the locked-down areas.

In some areas, workers were making announcements through megaphones to make people aware of the developments.

The country witnessed three more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 54 positive cases in the last 24 hours till yesterday afternoon.

Thus, the number of confirmed cases in the country has reached 218 while the death toll stands at 20.

"We have been staying indoors for the last 15 days. It is just like living in darkness, waiting for the light. From today, we have to stay at home as our road has been closed. We do not know when the light will come and the sun will shine in our lives,"

Mostafizur Rahman, a resident at Adabor area, told the Business Standard.

"It looks unusual but this is what we need. People got scared because of a rise in coronavirus patients in the last couple of days," said Atifur Rahman, a resident of Green Road area.  

"Police and army men have been patrolling the Green Road round the clock. Now no one can go out without valid reasons," said KH Sonam in the city's Central Road area.

"We have stocked up on around a month's groceries and other necessary things. If we need anything more, just one of us will go out," she added.                 

Sartaj Alim, a resident at Uttar Tolarbagh, the area which was first locked down in the capital, said the people of Tolarbagh are taking every possible measure to break the chain of the virus. But they are also frightened because only a single person could turn into a super-spreader.

Nasimul Ahsan of Basabo said they have remained under lockdown for the last four days.

"Now there is a crisis of baby food, medicine and daily vegetables, fish and meat. I had to buy baby milk at a double price," he added.

Mohammad Hiron, who lives in Minar Masjid area of Mohammapur, said they are now worried about the future.

"If it was possible, I would go to my village home. But no area is safe. My whole family including me is now in a panicky situation. What will we do? How will we fulfil our daily needs?" he added.

Tajnin Jahan, a resident of Old Dhaka, said they are under lockdown from Monday.

"We have enough food supply. But we are in a danger zone as at least 15 people of Old Dhaka tested positive," she added.

Nusrat Nazmi, a resident at Uttara-14 sector, said there is a shortage of daily essentials.

"The local authorities imposed the lockdown without any notice. That is why we are facing a shortage of daily necessary goods. Hopefully, they will sort it out soon," she added.        

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman told the media that they are trying to reach every people's doorstep to help them regarding the food crisis.

"We request all to contact respective local police stations so that we can reach them to provide food. One person of a family is allowed to go out during daytime to buy their daily essentials," he added.

Clusters of Covid-19 under lockdown

A slum in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar was put under lockdown yesterday after a resident tested positive for coronavirus.

The resident of Motaharer slum, who is also a temporary worker of National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Centre, tested positive today, said Jan-e-Alam, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

There are around 300-350 families in the slum. They locked the slum around 5 am, he added.

Meanwhile, the Agrani Bank's principal branch at Dilkusha was locked down yesterday evening as an employee tested positive for coronavirus. The bank authorities sent 63 employees to home quarantine.

Mohammad Shams-Ul Islam, managing director of Agrani Bank told The Business Standard, "The employee last came to the office on Sunday. He started feeling ill and we sent him home afterwards."

According to IEDCR data, 123 people have so far tested positive for coronavirus, including 39 new infections yesterday, in Dhaka city.

New patients were found in the Chawkbazar, Babu Bazar, Shahjahanpur and Tejgaon area. The number of patients increased in Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Jigatola, Lalbagh, Islampur, Wari, Jatrabari, Bashundhara, Uttara, Gulshan and Uttar Tolarbagh.

As per instructions from the law enforcement agencies, these clusters may come under lockdown.

On Tuesday, the authorities sealed Chawkbazar's Khaja Dewan Road, six clusters in Mohammadpur and Adabor, Mohammadpur Krishi Market, Tajmahal Road's Minar Masjid area, Rajia Sultana Road, parts of Babar Road and parts of Basila, Adabar,

Boro Katra and Nawabganj Road in Lalbagh, a building in North Badda and another building with eight families in Bashundhara Residential Area.

The areas that were locked down before Tuesday are - parts of Mohakhali's Arjat Para area, areas adjacent to Apollo Hospital and Road no (D block) of Basundhara R/A, parts of BUET, parts of Eskaton's Dilu Road, Mirpur's Tolarbagh and North

Tolarbagh, parts of Uttara Sector 14, Kazipara, Central Road, Showari Ghat, Mirpur 10's Road no 7, parts of Paltan, Ashkona, Nayatala, Senpara, Mir Hajirbagh, areas adjacent to Nandipara Bridge, a road in Mirpur 11, parts of Dhanmondi 6, Uttar

Tolarbagh, Mirpur 13 Desco quarter, South Jatrabari's Kutubkhali, West Maniknagar, some areas in Narinda, areas adjacent to Green Life Hospital and parts of Islampur.