The roads of Dhaka have been virtually empty on a rain-soaked second day of the ‘stringent lockdown’ to curb the spread of the coronavirus infection.
On Friday morning, a smattering of people was seen walking along alleys of Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, TSC, Palashi, Azimpur, Shahbag but the main roads were mostly empty, bdnews24.com reports.
Between Hatirpool and New Market, some shops are selling essential items and groceries but with very few shoppers.
Checkposts have been activated in different corners of the capital, while police, RAB and army personnel are patrolling the streets.
Under the ongoing lockdown restrictions, only emergency service vehicles are allowed on the roads. Ambulances and goods vehicles are occasionally plying the empty roads but the number of private cars and motorcycles is less than the previous day. In their absence, rickshaws are ruling the roost despite the rains.
Amir Hossain, a rickshaw-puller, said, “Passengers are not paying too much. We are getting Tk 40 for trips that we'd usually charge Tk 30. The fares haven't gone up too much.”
However, the restrictions were not as tight at Dhaka University's Teacher-Student Centre, Palashi and Shahbag areas compared to the day before.
Roadside vendors are selling fish and vegetables in the Azimpur Chapra Mosque area while grocery shops are also open. Although there is a police barricade on the main road, the checks have not been as frequent as the day before.
Asked about the situation, SI Delwar Hossain of Azimpur police outpost said, “It has been raining since last night. The Azimpur intersection is waterlogged. The traffic was light and while the rain has caused some disruption, we are still sticking to our task.”
