Lockdown: People coming to and leaving Dhaka in increasing numbers

People from various walks of life have been coming to and leaving Dhaka for different districts for various purposes, including medical treatment, going abroad, vaccination, immigration or for attending their offices amid the ongoing strict lockdown.

People associated with the transport sector said the number of people moving to and from the capital has been increasing since Eid.

"People started coming to Dhaka or going to other districts since Eid and their number is gradually increasing," said Ishraq Mahmud, a transport worker from the capital's Saidabad Bus Stand. Microbuses are now plying from Saidabad to various destinations.

Passengers said they were coming to Dhaka for vaccination or on some urgent official work while some were going to their village homes on receiving news of the death of relatives or on emergency needs, he added.

Mohammad Ashraf from Chattogram came to Dhaka for vaccination as he is going abroad.

"The government did not provide any vaccination facilities in Chattogram for those who are going abroad.  So I had to come to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical in Dhaka to take the vaccine," he said.

Abul Hossain, a worker at Omega Garments in Gazipur, said his factory would open tomorrow and so he came from Barisal to Dhaka on Sunday.

"If I cannot join tomorrow, I will lose my job. I lost my job last year amid the pandemic and got this one after much effort. That is why I have come to Saidabad from Barisal with great difficulties on the way. Now I have to go to Gazipur but I have not able to find any means of transport for an hour. Probably I will have to walk to Gazipur," he added.

Mohammad Arif, an official with Sena Kalyan Trust, needed to go to Laksham in Cumilla to see his grandmother, who was ill and in critical condition.

"I live in Mirpur-12. I endured hassles on the way to Saidabad. It took time to get a rickshaw to come here. Now, a biker is asking for Tk2,500 to go to Laksham. There is no other transport here," he added.

Ajit Mandal, who came to Dhaka from Gopalganj, said he worked as a carpenter in Sylhet and he had to get there by Monday, otherwise he would lose his job. He did not know how he would go to Sylhet as he had not yet found any means of transport.

Medical technologist Md Robin came to Dhaka with his family from Mymensingh. He said he had to change vehicles, including autorickshaws and CNG-run autorickshaws, thirteen times to come to Dhaka. It cost over Tk1,200, when the fare is only Tk300 in normal times.

"My workplace used to be Mymensingh Medical College. I have recently been transferred to Noakhali Medical College. I have to join there by Wednesday," he added.

Mohammad Shamsuddin came to Dhaka from Chattogram to do some work related to his going abroad. He said the car he was in was stopped at various checkpoints and he was only permitted to go after his passport and other documents were checked.

There were three more passengers in the car. They came to Dhaka to be inoculated with Covid vaccines, he added.

Mohammad Sajib, a biker waiting for passengers at Jatrabari, said, "We go mainly to Cumilla and Noakhali. At present, we are getting a good number of passengers. We determine the fare according to the distance to the destination. We take Tk2,500-3,000 for going to Noakhali and Tk 1,500-2,000 for Comilla."

"We go through the streets where there are no check posts. Even then, when the police stop me, I say I am going home. The passengers are my relatives. Sometimes the police let me go or often fine me, he added.

Many people who got out of home said they had their backs against the wall and would to starve if they could not earn anything.

Biker Md Jahangir Alam said, "There is no food for us in the house, no milk for the baby. So, I took my bike out on the road for the first time."

Another biker Enamul Haque said, "The government cannot impose lockdowns in this way. It will not do. We have nothing to eat at home but the government has not provided us with anything. What should we eat?"