Stringent restriction on movement breaks off communication with Dhaka

Dhaka has been cut off from the rest of the country as movement restrictions were strictly enforced by law enforcement agencies on Tuesday. 

This created tailbacks of vehicles, including cars, buses, CNG-run autorickshaws, and pickup vans, at the entry and exit points of the capital.

Commuters who travel between Dhaka and nearby districts for work suffered a lot. Those attempting to cross the entry and exit points on foot were also stopped by police. 

Kamaruzzaman Khan, who works at a private company and commutes between Dhaka and Savar, said no specific guidelines had been issued for office-goers living outside Dhaka. 

He said he had faced many hassles because police did not allow him to enter Dhaka.

Rail communications between the capital and other parts of the country were suspended from Wednesday midnight while ferry services on Mawa and Paturia routes ran on a limited scale. 

Mizanur Rahman, assistant police commissioner of Darussalam zone of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said both people and vehicular movements were restricted at Gabtoli.

The sudden restriction created long traffic congestions on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in the morning, but the situation started getting normal gradually, he said.

He stressed remaining steadfast about imposing travel restrictions to check Covid-19 infections.

Earlier on the day, people's suffering was reported at the Amin Bazar entrance.

DMP Deputy Commissioner (Uttara zone) Saiful Islam said night coaches on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway that reached the city early in the morning were exempted from the restriction. 

But a fully-fledged restriction was imposed later in the day.

Badrul Hasan, additional deputy commissioner of Uttara traffic zone, said legal action was taken, depending on the seriousness of the crime, if anyone violated the restriction.

At a meeting at Mohakhali bus terminal in the morning, road transport leaders and workers agreed to comply with the government directives to suspend long-haul bus services between Dhaka and other connecting districts.

They said they would cooperate with law enforcement agencies to fully implement the order.

All inter-district public transport ticket counters at the terminal were closed while rope and traffic cones were used at the out-gate so that no transport could leave.

Microbuses were also closely monitored in the vicinity of the terminal to prevent any passenger from travelling to other districts.

The government made the decision on restricting movements at 10:30pm on Monday after fresh lockdowns were imposed in several districts – Manikganj, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Rajbari, and Gopalganj – for nine days.

Our Manikganj correspondent said the lockdown had halted the movement of all vehicles on a 35km stretch on the Dhaka-Aricha highway, causing Dhaka-bound people to suffer terribly. 

Several bus drivers tried to carry passengers from Manikganj to Savar but were stopped by police. Many passengers then attempted to go to Dhaka on foot.  

Our Gazipur correspondent said buses and other vehicles ran on the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways in the morning despite the lockdown. Police set up 20 checkpoints on the highways after 7am, which reduced vehicular movement.

Rasel Molla, who works for a private company, said he had to rent a motorcycle for Tk600 to go to Dhaka from Gazipur. He usually goes to office by bus and pays Tk60-80.

Our Chattogram bureau office said the local administration imposed an eight-day fresh lockdown in Fatikchhari upazila, where 62 people had been infected in the last three days.  

Our Munshiganj correspondent said police set up 10 checkpoints on the Dhaka-Mawa express highway and all types of movements were restricted. But 14 ferries ran to carry emergency service vehicles, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation.

Cabinet Secretary Khondokar Anwarul Islam on Monday asked government officials and law enforcement agencies to take stern action against lockdown violators and those ignoring health rules amid the pandemic.

He directed them to enhance mobile court activities and stop intercity vehicles. He also asked them not to allow the entry and exit of any transport, except for goods-laden trucks carrying essentials from one district to another in the lockdown areas.

Due to the surge in Covid-19 infections, the government imposed a lockdown on 5 April. Later, on 14 April, a strict lockdown was imposed and it was extended till 30 June with new instructions.

As the Indian variant of coronavirus spread in border areas, the local administrations imposed lockdowns in several districts. The government instructed local administrations to issue local lockdowns where necessary.