Lockdown day 5: Movements increase, people show lame excuses

An increasing number of people and vehicles were seen on the streets of the capital on Monday, the fifth day of the ongoing seven-day strict lockdown.

People were showing various lame excuses for coming out of their homes despite the lockdown imposed by the government to tackle the third wave of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to law enforcers.

Law enforcers said they were not being able to control people's movements even after arresting and fining the violators.

According to sources, Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested 413 persons for violating government instructions on Monday. Among them, 243 were fined TK98,000 by mobile courts while police sued owners of 526 cars and fined them Tk12 lakh under the Road Transport Act.

Photo-Joynal Abedin

Kazi Abdus Salam, owner of a pet shop at Katabon in the capital, was on the street to deliver cat food to a customer at Mohammadpur. He was stopped at Jigatola check post by a RAB mobile court that fined him Tk400 for violating restriction rules.

RAB Executive Magistrate Mazharul Islam said, "As he failed to show any receipt for the delivery, the mobile court fined him."

Salam said, "A customer living in Mohammadpur bought two cats from me a few days ago. He wanted me to deliver food for the cats. Now, I have to pay Tk400 in fine."

Robiul Alam, a traffic sergeant of Ramna zone told The Business Standard, "We are taking legal action against the violators of lockdown. However, a number of people are still wandering on Dhaka's streets showing medical documents if stopped at any checkpoint."

Using medical documents, many people are wandering here and there violating restrictions, he said.

Photo-Joynal Abedin

At a checkpoint at Mogbazar, Shofiul Alam, who claimed to be the uncle of a pregnant woman, told the police that he was going to hospital.

But when police asked him the name of the hospital, he failed to mention it. Police then detained him.

Meanwhile, traffic congestion was seen at different important intersections in the capital.

Banks, insurance companies, stock, brokerage firms and financial institutions reopened Monday after being closed for four consecutive days. But, due to the restrictions announced by the government, transaction hours were limited.

Compared to the last four days, the number of vehicles and people increased on Dhaka streets, presumably for the reopening of banks and other places.

Moreover, an increasing number of private cars, motorcycles and rickshaws were seen plying on the roads unlike the previous days of the ongoing lockdown. Many pedestrians were seen reaching their respective destinations on foot since morning.

Sarwar Alam, an employee at an export-import agency, was walking from Kafrul to his office in Paltan.

He told TBS that the raw material exporting agency where he works was no longer under lockdown restrictions, but as there were no buses on the road, he had to walk. "Now, a rickshaw from Kafrul to Paltan costs Tk300-350, but my daily income is not that much," he said.

Saudi expatriate Siddiqur Rahman had come to Dhaka from Feni to collect his airplane tickets. He said, "I had to pay Tk7,000 to rent a car to come to Dhaka, and there was no end to the suffering on the way."

"The government has suspended public transport and imposed a strict lockdown, and on the other hand, it has caused us extreme suffering by keeping international flights open," he added.

Many low-income people, especially day labourers, were also seen sitting beside different roads and waiting for work.

Motaleb Hossain, a construction worker, told TBS, "I am unemployed as there is no work amid lockdown and there is no food at home. So, I have been waiting since morning to get work."

Rickshaws were seen plying on the streets of the capital. Though there was no other public transport on the roads, their income decreased due to the lack of passengers, said several rickshaw-pullers.

Meanwhile, shopping malls and markets of the capital were closed, but small shops and kitchen markets in different alleys and lanes were found open, ignoring hygiene rules and social distancing. 

Members of law enforcement agencies were found active in Karwan Bazar intersection, Bangla Motor, Shahbag and other parts of the capital.

Checkpoints have been set up in many places and checking was being done from time to time.

In this regard, Ramna Zone Traffic Sergeant Morshedul Islam told TBS, "We have set up check-posts at various places, and are asking people why they have come out from their house."

"We are taking action against those who fail to show logical reasons," he added.

On Wednesday, the Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification imposing a number of rules and regulations as part of the seven-day lockdown that began from 1 July.