The streets of Dhaka saw a significant rise in the number of vehicles and crowds on the twelfth day of the nationwide lockdown.
Gridlock roads have surfaced back in different areas of the capital on Monday, just a day after the country registered a record single-day deaths and cases.
“I don’t see any lockdown; everyone is out on the streets. There are traffic congestions at every other intersection. Even no checking is being done at the checkpost,” said Shamsul Islam, a rickshaw puller in Fakirapul area told Bangla Tribune as he waited for the signal to turn green.
The number of vehicles and crowds saw a significant rise on the Dhaka roads on the 12th day of lockdown, July 12, 2021, Bangla Tribune
Traffic congestions were also seen in Dainik Bangla intersection, Fakirapul, Arambagh, Kamalapur, Kakrail, Paltan, Shahbagh, Banglamotor, Kawran Bazar and other areas of the city.
Moreover, no army or Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) troopers or even members of the police could be seen on many of the roads.
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"We did not stop all the vehicles today (Monday) to have less interruptions in the flow of traffic as it was heavy. We have stopped vehicles over only suspicious movement,” Sandeep Sarker, assistant commissioner of police’s Khilgaon zone, told an English daily.
He said they were imposing fines or filing cases against people who could not give a valid reason for leaving their homes.
Khilgaon police have arrested 34 people for strolling through different kitchen markets without a reason.
Numerous vehicles are waiting for the signal to turn green in an intersection in Dhaka amid the lockdown on Monday, July 12, 2021, Bangla Tribune
“What’s good to see is everyone is wearing masks,” said senior police officer Sarker
The pandemic situation in Bangladesh has deteriorating since the last few weeks, with highest-ever 230 deaths and 11,856 new cases reported in the 24 hours to Sunday morning.
With the new numbers, Bangladesh’s death tally hit 16,419 while the caseload 1,021,189.
