Most of the kitchen markets in the capital as well as different districts are still operating in congested areas and are plagued with overcrowding, exposing more people to the risk of COVID-19 infections across the country.
Everyday shopping practices still continues as shoppers are seen crowding the markets from morning till afternoon without maintaining social distancing while efforts to move the markets to open spaces remained stalled.
The authorities have been expressing their frustration over these huge gatherings since the beginning of shutdown on March 26.
Police officials said that they introduced several measures to curb gatherings at bazaars, but breach of lockdown still continues in both streets and kitchen markets.
In an announcement on Friday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police asked to move the kitchen markets to the nearby roads and keep 20-25 feet distance between shops.
Earlier the local government division had instructed that all the kitchen markets must be moved to open spaces.
After visiting different areas in the capital on Sunday, it was observed that the initiative was only partially implemented as most of the kitchen markets were still in closed and busy places.
Haiterpool kitchen market was moved to an open space on Sunday morning under the supervision of Police and armed forces members.
Vegetable seller Abdur Razzak said that they were experiencing overcrowding of shoppers for several days and the market was in a crammed place. Now, out in the open, people would get more space for shopping while keeping a safe distance from one another, he added.
City corporation staff members were seen drawing circles on the road to aid social distancing.
But kitchen markets at Jatrabai, Palashi intersection, New Market, Mohammadpur, Karwan Bazar, Mirpur-6, and Shewrapara were still in closed and crammed places.
Md Illiyus, a fruit seller of Jatrabari market, said that they did not receive any instruction to move their shops to the roadside open space.
Police have introduced one-way movement in kitchen markets countrywide to curb the spread of coronavirus, which, however, is hardly maintained as shoppers rush and gather in front of the shops.
As it appears to be a daunting task to prevent overcrowding of shoppers at kitchen markets amid the alarming rise in coronavirus infection, urban experts suggested immediate reshaping of the kitchen markets.
Ubran planning expert Iqbal Habib said it was important to have kitchen market management in this crisis period.
Markets in open spaces might not be a desired solution as they would still draw huge crowds.
Bringing goods at peoples’ door might be a better option, he observed.
‘This way, people will get the opportunity to buy essential commodities from their homes. Local elected representative may play an important role in this process,’ he said.
New Age staff correspondent in Sylhet reported that most the kitchen markets in Sylhet city and elsewhere in the district still remained vulnerable amid the continuous spreading of coronavirus infection since the government directive for shifting shops to open spaces was not being implemented properly.
They said that some shops of the city’s major kitchen markets, including Bandar Bazar, Brammamoyi Bazar, Rikabibazar, Kazitula Bazar, Bharthakhala Bazar and Sadhurbazar, were shifted to nearby roads.
Sylhet deputy commissioner Kazi Emdadul Islam said that they were trying their best to shift shops from the existing kitchen markets.
New Age staff correspondent from Chattogram reported that the congested Chawk Bazar Kitchen Market in the port city was shifted to the nearby Parade Ground following the government instruction.
The market authorities and Chattogram Metropolitan Police set an example in the country by shifting the market to the open space so that customers and shopkeepers can maintain social distancing.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (south) Shah Abdur Rauf said that they noticed that customers now could maintain necessary distance.
Ukhia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Nikaruzzaman Chowdhury said that from Monday morning they would shift Ukhia Daroga Bazar to Ukhia Government High School playground, Sonarpara Bazar to Sonarpara High School field, Court Bazar to Old Court Bazar field, Moriccha Bazar to Moriccha High School.
New Age correspondent from Cox’s Bazar reported that some kitchen markets in town were already sifted to open spaces. But, Eadgong Bazar, Ramu Fokira Bazar, Ukhiya Daroga Bazar and some markets at Moheskhali, Kutubdia, Teknaf, Chakoria, Pekoua, Harbong of the district could not be moved.
When approached, Local government division secretary Helaluddin Ahmed told New Age that most of the kitchen markets were already moved to open spaces, and some could not be moved due to unavailability of open spaces.-New Age
