East Razabazar residents protest lockdown extension

A few residents in the capital's East Rajabazar area staged a protest on Tuesday against the extension of lockdown for seven more days there.

The agitated people forcefully shuttered some retail supermarkets, including Swapno, Meenabzar etc in the area.

East Razabazar, which is under Dhaka North City Corporation, was the first place to have been locked down for 14 days as part of the red zone-based lockdown measures announced by the health ministry after an upsurge in coronavirus infections.

One of the protesting residents said, "We have already suffered during the 14-day lockdown here. Many people could not go to work during the time."

"The whole of Dhaka has Covid-19 patients. Why is lockdown imposed only here?" He questioned.

Another resident, who was not wearing a mask, said, "I am not wearing a mask to protest the decision of lockdown extension here."

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station's Assistant Sub-Inspector Jahangir Alam said several people staged a protest against the lockdown but the situation is under control now.

Masud Hossain Sumon, coordinator of a volunteer group in implementing the lockdown in East Razabar, said some people were against the lockdown from the very beginning. "But this decision was taken by the government for the people's welfare. Later, we convinced the protesters to return to their homes."

An army team started patrolling the area at around 1pm.

Meanwhile, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Md Atiqul Islam hailed the contribution of local people in executing the lockdown in East Razabazar, saying it was "exemplary".

The Dhaka north mayor said the lockdown in Rajabazar has been extended for another seven days as per the directives of the Directorate General of Health Services.

Atiqul Islam made the remarks while inaugurating the "Infectious waste management" programme at East Rajabazar on Tuesday at 11am.

"We will provide 10 waste disposal bags to the houses that have coronavirus patients," he said.

He further said the city corporation will provide three lakh waste disposal bags to the residents of Dhaka.

"We often mix Covid-19-related waste with other household waste, which increases the risk of virus contamination," the mayor said, adding that the city corporation, from July 7, will not collect waste from houses that mix up gloves, masks with other regular waste.

The Dhaka North City Corporation will provide the waste disposal bags free of cost at the beginning, but residents will have to buy it themselves afterwards.

The residents will have to put the medical waste in these bags. Cleaners of the city corporation will collect the medical waste twice a week on Saturday and Tuesday.

The medical waste will be collected and kept in a secondary transfer station in the area. Then, they will be disposed of following precautions with the help of a private organisation in the capital's Matuail area.