Busy roads amid lax lockdown

The capital city has almost returned to its usual traffic congestions with private cars, motorcycles, autorickshaws and rickshaws on the roads, speaking little about the lockdown that is in place.

Though officially restrictions have been extended for five days until 10 August, people are showing little interest in complying with them.

On the 16th day of the ongoing lockdown on Saturday, banks and different service providing organisations were closed.

Still, many roads at Shyamoli, Agargaon, College Gate, Kalabagan, Bijoy Sarani and Farmgate were seen packed with pedestrians and vehicles.

Many shops opened amid police's inaction to enforce the lockdown. There were fewer checkposts as well.

A Dhaka Metropolitan Police sergeant who was in charge of a check post at College Gate said the traffic was mostly bound for vaccine centres and hospitals since the government launched a countrywide six-day campaign on Saturday.  

Another traffic sergeant at Agargaon said it was difficult to control the heavy traffic. Since the reopening of garment factories on 1 August, vehicular movement increased in that area, he said.

At Moghbazar checkpost, Songram Debnath, traffic sergeant, said he had fined several people for traveling by private cars for no reasons. 

At Satrasta intersection, sergeant Ujjal Hossain said vehicular pressure there was less than in the last few days because banks were closed, and most of the people on the roads were going to get their first shot of Covid vaccine or to healthcare facilities for other reasons. 

"We have also met a number of people who lost jobs and came out with motorbikes to give rides for money. We are letting them go as a humane gesture." 

Moreover, vehicles were plying the roads due to transportation of goods to the nearby Karwan Bazar, the biggest wholesale market in the capital, Ujjal said, adding that people were also entering the city from other districts.

Meanwhile, the police seized 35 long-distance buses at different points on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway for violating lockdown protocols.

The highway police raided the Chandra junction and surrounding areas based on reports that long-distance buses were operating on the routes and charging passengers three to four times the usual fares.

Highway police said the movement of private cars, goods-carrying trucks, lorry, battery-powered auto-rickshaws and rickshaws had increased on the highway as the day began.

There were people other than garment workers, the police said.

A large number of vehicles were entering the capital without any hindrance due to the slackening of road and highway check posts. That resulted in traffic congestion at points, such as the Chandna crossing.