Despite a sustained surge in coronavirus patients in the capital, many city dwellers aren't following social distancing guidelines, intensifying the risk of more infections here.
The situation was too worst in places like kitchen markets, groceries and medicine outlets where people in large number were seen thronging to buy essential commodities or drugs, paying no heed to the government's guidelines on maintaining social distance.
Even the city people in many places were seen ignoring marked places that state entities circled to maintain safe distancing before groceries and medicine shops to stem the spread of coronavirus.
In several places, people were found ignoring the major anti-COVID-19 guidelines under the nose of the law enforcement agencies.
The FE correspondent found an unexpected and horrific scenario after visiting several public places in the capital in recent days.
Adul Halim, a trader who sells kitchen items at Rampura kitchen market, said they were requesting the people to maintain social distancing but nobody bothered.
"Now people in large number started coming to the kitchen market to buy essentials ahead of Ramadan. We marked two different passages for coming to and going out of the market. But people are not following it," he added.
Kamrul Islam, a retired government official who came to Rampura kitchen market, said there are very small passage in between the market, making it difficult to maintain distancing.
"There are too many people with little space to move on. I think the kitchen market should shift to such a place having more space," he added.
The situation was almost same at Karwan Bazar, Bou Bazar, Khilgaon, Jatrabari, Mirpur and Badda areas.
When contacted, assistant police commissioner (Khilgaon zone) Julfiqur Ali admitted the reluctance of people saying that it becomes very difficult for a limited number of police to deal a large number of people.
"Even we marked public places to maintain safe distancing but people are not following it. We're planning to shift the kitchen market to open places with maintaining safe distance," he added.
The government earlier issued an order to shift kitchen market to open places across the country. Following the order, few of the city's kitchen markets has already been shifted to open places.
General secretary of Karwan Bazar Katchamaal (kitchen items) Aarot Byaboshayee Malik Somitee Abdul Mannan said they instructed the traders to follow all the safety measures, including gloves, masks and social distancing, to do regular trading.
"Maintaining social distance becomes a tough task because of huge crowds," he said.
Director of management information system (MIS) of the DGHS Dr Md Habibur Rahman said Dhaka recorded the highest-ever number of COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh.
"And the number keeps growing. Social distancing is the only way through which we can prevent the spread of the pandemic. So, all should follow it," he added.
According to the DGHS, a total of 2,948 people have so far been infected with coronavirus and Dhaka city accounted for over 1,100 of them.
Public health rights activist Dr Rashid-e-Mahbub said the economic activities should be continued with giving utmost priority to health issue during the ongoing fight against the pandemic.
"We should not allow anything that could further enhance the risk of infections. Kitchen market should immediately shift to open places with proper monitoring on distancing," he added.
