Railway services resume on limited scale with eight trains
Guards allowed passengers to enter the station after checking their body temperature with thermal scanners
Bangladesh Railway resumed services on a limited scale on Sunday with eight trains. Each train carried passengers up to fifty percent of its capacity.
Passengers collected tickets online as all the counters remained shut to avoid congestion.
People were seen entering the terminal in a queue and there was a minimum three-foot distance between one another.
Guards allowed passengers to enter the station after checking their body temperature with thermal scanners.
No one except the passengers was allowed inside the terminal, which was quiet as very few passengers were waiting there for their trains.
The passengers at the station expressed their joy over being able to go to their desired destinations.
Mizanur Rahman, who recently lost his job at a school, said, "In the last two months, I had no income and had to go through a lot of sufferings."
"I am going to my home in Sylhet. I do not know when I will come back to Dhaka," he added.
Bashir Mia, a member of Bangladesh Navy, said, "I came to visit my son-in-law and got stuck here since March."
"Going back home seems like a release from jail. Also, I have to join my duty," he added.
Meherun Tonu, a Chattogram-bound passenger, said, "I came to Dhaka in February to visit my parental house and then I got confined."
Some employees of the railway were seen disinfecting an entire rail coach which was scheduled to depart the terminal.
Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan visited the terminal at noon to oversee the arrangement.
Talking to reporters, he said, "We took all kinds of safety measures and the passengers have to obey those. All the measures will fail if passengers do not remain cautious and try to protect themselves."
The health safety rules include that the passengers must wear masks when they enter the station area or board the train. They have to use specific doors for entry and exit, and no one except the passengers will be allowed to enter the platform.
Subarna Express, Sonar Bangla Express, Kalni Express, Panchagarh Express, Banalata Express, Lalmoni Express, Udayan / Paharika Express and Chitra Express resumed services on Sunday.
From June 3, 11 more trains will join the fleet, which are: Teesta Express, Benapole Express, Nilsagar Express, Rupsha Express, Kapotakkho Express, Modhumoti Express, Meghna Express, Kishoreganj Express, Upakul Express, Brahmaputra Express, and Kurigram Express.
Passengers travelling to areas like Dhaka airport, Joydebpur and Narsingdi will not enjoy these services.