Thousands of people continued to leave the capital Dhaka by roads and waterways on Tuesday for their ancestral homes ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr ignoring the government restrictions on movement amid the risk of coronavirus spread.
Hundreds of people became stranded at the ferry terminals to cross the river Padma during their journey to the southern parts of country on the day as the authorities suspended the ferry services for inclement weather and police sent back many of them to source points.
Some passengers crossed the river by trawlers illegally amid restrictions on people’s movement from one district to another during the ongoing shutdown for maintaining social distancing.
On highways, people got three-wheelers and even rickshaws to reach their destinations, especially those who were set out to reach the northern and southern parts of the country.
The entry and exit points of the capital also saw a huge congestion of vehicles all day long.
Some of the home-bound people said as they had no money for staying in the capital, which was why they were leaving Dhaka.
The inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed on Tuesday at a press conference asked the desperate home goers to stop their journey as such mass movement causes the virus to spread.
He added that 23 districts were coronavirus free until the second week of April but whenever people move, the infection spreads across the country.
Since morning thousands of people rushed out of the capital towards ferry terminals.
Earlier on Monday night, ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Kathalbari routes on the river Padma resumed in a limited scale for passage of the emergency, medical and goods-laden vehicles after the services were suspended earlier on the same day.
Shipping ministry senior information officer Jahangir Alam Khan told New Age that since Tuesday noon the ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia, Shimulia-Kathalbari, Bhola-Lakshmipur and Laharhat-Bheduria channels were suspended for an indefinite period following inclement weather.
For emergency vehicles the ferries could ran in limited scale, he added.
Meanwhile, at the river terminals No 3 signal has been hoisted as Amphil is approaching the coastal region.
New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reports that hundreds of passengers from Dhaka remained stranded at Shimulia terminal area around 12:30pm on Tuesday.
At the time around 200 goods-laden vehicles were seen waiting to cross the river.
Some passengers crowded into trawlers at Gordour Bazar area to cross the river.
Meanwhile, around 3:00pm police sent back several hundred stranded passengers from the terminal area by 11 buses to Dhaka, said Asaduzzaman, additional superintendent of police Sreenagar circle in Munshiganj.
Kamla Mia, stranded at the terminal on his way to Shariatpur, said that he had no work and money in Dhaka and that was why he wanted to go back to his ancestral home.
Asma Begum, a Barishal-bound passenger said while sobbing said that she came from Narayanganj to see her father who was sick.
Our correspondent in Manikganj reported that since morning a huge number of passenger-laden cars and micro-buses were sent back to Dhaka.
Police set up check posts on Dhaka-Aricha highway at the entry points of the district to check the movement of vehicles with passengers.
River police also strengthened their vigilance.
New Age correspondent in Tangail reported that ahead of Eid, hundreds of people crossed the Dhaka-Tangail national highway throughout the day.
Following the ban on public transports, the passengers got on auto-rickshaws, vans, cars and trucks in their desperation to reach home before Eid.-New Age
