People grow restive

• About one crore low-income people have been affected by the pandemic and if the lockdown continues like this, the number will increase day by day 

• Even middle-class people were seen queuing up at the OMS points 

People from all walks of life are increasingly finding it difficult to make their ends meet as the latest 14-day lockdown which was enforced soon after the Eid-ul-Azha on July 23 to fight the on-going Covid pandemic entered its 6th day on Wednesday with people's suffering knowing no bounds. 

Many of them, mainly day laborers and rickshaw pullers, were reportedly starving as they ran out of their mere savings to buy their food and other daily essentials. This situation compelled many to defy the lockdown guidelines, raising the question whether the lockdown will be extended further after August 5.

But the state minister for public administration, Farhad Hossain, yesterday hinted at relaxation of restrictions in phases considering the facts of people's suffering and continued economic slowdown.

The overall situation is getting worse day by day. Even middle-class people were seen queuing up at the open market sale (OMS) points to scoop up necessary commodities at subsidized prices in the capital and other parts of the country, shedding their social status. It has added to the evidence that millions of people have been reduced to the state of penury since the outbreak of the Covid-19 in March last year.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh on Monday started a month-long nationwide open market sale of essential commodities amid the ongoing strict movement restrictions. TCB outlets in the city witnessed long queues of consumers on the first day of the OMS operation given the hike in prices of essential commodities on the market amid the Covid outbreak.

A total of 40 TCB dealers started the open market sale at 40 points in the city on Monday and most of the outlets were crowded with consumers. TCB was supposed to start the OMS activities at 122 points across the country. Earlier, the TCB announced a nationwide commodity sale programme at subsidised prices in July 5-29 aiming to keep the prices of essential items stable on the market amid the Covid outbreak and ahead of Eidul-Azha.

In addition, the government recently announced a new set of at least five stimulus packages worth around Tk. 3,200 crore to benefit mainly working class people who have become unemployed during the catastrophic situation. 

Under the new stimulus packages, the government allocated Tk760 crore to help day laborers, rickshaw or van drivers, motor workers, construction workers, newspaper hawkers, hotel workers and others who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Hundreds of thousands of people in transport, tourism, services and other sectors have lost jobs. Though the government pledged to give support to them, experts say that is not enough.  

During a survey of 2,675 low-income people between 31 March and 5 April in 64 districts, Brac found that extreme poverty had increased by 60% in the pandemic. Around 14% of the people did not have any food at home and many had to change their profession just to survive.

"About one crore low-income people have been affected by the pandemic and if the lockdown continues like this, the number will increase day by day. The government should help at least one crore people by giving them Tk2,000 per month in cash support  for one year through mobile banking," said Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of Policy Research Institute.

Meanwhile, the number of people and vehicles increased on streets in Dhaka and other areas of Bangladesh on Wednesday defying the ‘stricter lockdown’ imposed by the government on public movement and business activities.  Return journey of Eid travellers to Dhaka and adjacent districts continued, especially through major water channels and highways, on the 6th day of the restrictions.

Many people entered Dhaka through Dhaka-Chattogram national highway on different alternative transports, including pickup vans, human haulers and rickshaw vans. The police stopped a number of three-wheelers at Shonir Akhra. Huge crowd were seen at Jatrabari kitchen market. Many people on roads and transports were seen without masks while social distancing remained absent on ferries and road transports.

Traffic congestions were also seen at places, including Shahbagh, while the police checked vehicles.

Some of the shops reopened at different places and day labourers were seen waiting at Dhonia area for getting work.

In almost all ferries, pressure of passengers on foot and passenger cars increased on the Shimulia-Banglabazar channel in the River Padma. Social distancing on ferries was neglected.

People even walked to ferry terminals through the check posts at the areas by showing different reasons.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Tuesday arrested 555 more people and fined 497 vehicles in Dhaka on charges of violating the restrictions. Some 2,494 people have so far been arrested by the DMP since July 23, when the restrictions came into effect.

DMP mobile courts on Tuesday collected Tk 4.8 lakh in fines from 236 people for having no valid reason for roaming around and not maintaining health guidelines and the Traffic Division collected Tk 11.73 lakh in fines from vehicles for failing to comply with the curbs.