The curfew has been relaxed by 2 more hours from 8 am to 5 pm as the ongoing situation of the country shown the sign of improvement. However, curfew in the cities like Dhaka, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, gazipur will be continued on Friday and Saturday, said home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
Meanwhile, on the sixth day of the curfew on Thursday, there was a strict army patrol in the capital. However, the office and courts, market and bazars return to normal activity during the relaxation time. However, the law and order forces are on alert to deal with any untoward incident. Checkposts are being installed at various intersections along with regular patrols.
After the relaxation of curfew from 10 am on Thursday, the capital returned to its usual appearance. However, many have suffered by going out for various purposes. Blockage of traffic on some roads and shortage of vehicles were the major reasons for this. On this day, long-distance vehicles also left the capital for various destinations. Cargo trucks and pickups are coming and going. It has been seen on the ground that there was no conflict-violence anywhere in the capital from morning to evening. The overall situation was normal. A large number of vehicles are plying on the road due to the opening of the offices. The overall atmosphere was calm. However, after 5 pm there was some setback. Many vehicles were still stuck on the road due to the traffic jam. There was some discomfort in front of Bhatara police station in the capital. At this time, almost all the cars were turned away. Meanwhile, the scars of the devastation of the past few days are beginning to show. Most of the debris has been removed from the road. Most of the sidewalk shops were open. Common people are quite fearless and move normally. Army was seen patrolling various areas as curfew was in force. All in all, most of the area was peaceful. Along with RAB-Police, Army, Air Force, Navy, BGB and Ansar members are patrolling the road to control the law and order situation. Where the overall situation was quiet for a few days, there was a lot of activity on Thursday in those areas. The whistle and horns of cars and the noise of people were all around. On the second day of the opening of the office, the presence of people on the road increased from the morning. Citizens of the capital leave their homes for the sake of livelihood. The number of vehicles on the road also increases. Starting from the main road of Dhaka, the traffic jam started from 10 am onwards. As the day progressed, normal life began to return to Dhaka like any other normal day. After the office closes at 3 pm, the traffic jam increases again with the gathering of people going home. Sajjad Hossain, a private employee works in Mirpur area, said he was relieved to be able to leave his house after being closed for a few days. He said, “I have gasped after few days. I could not even pay the electricity and gas bills. I went to the bank and submitted the bill for that.”
Mirpur, Agargaon, Mohakhali, Kakrail, Malibagh, Rampura, Paltan, Topkhana Road areas were seen crowded. Rickshaws, motorcycles, autorickshaws, private vehicles as well as public transport were also seen plying. Passengers on the road said that the metro rail is closed on one side, and the elevated expressway is closed on the other. Due to the establishment of checkposts at different places of the roads, there is frequent traffic jam. Due to the lack of public transport, rickshaws, battery-powered autorickshaws and CNG-powered autorickshaws are also seen on the main roads. There was also a private car. Due to non-availability of public transport and traffic jam, commuters going to office suffer in the morning.
The policemen said that the metro rail was closed due to vandalism, while the roads in front of the public building were closed due to security reasons. All the cars coming from Kalyanpur, Mirpur, Gabtali and Shyamli are using Agargaon route for easier connectivity. So there was a lot of pressure on the roads. Apart from this, the road from Newbazar to Gulshan is also closed, due to which pedestrians and vehicles have to go around. As a result, there was heavy traffic in Shahjadpur and North Badda.
Crowds of people seen on roads of Rajshahi: The situation in the divisional city of Rajshahi was normal yesterday. The presence of people has increased on the main roads and alleys of the city. There are enough rickshaws, autorickshaws and motorcycles plying on the road. Offices, courts and banks also had normal presence. Long-distance buses are running. However, two trains were scheduled to leave on this day, but they did not leave.
From yesterday morning to evening, the movement of people increased in Sahebbazar Zero Point, Sonadighi, Malopara, Kadirganj, Railgate, Ranibazar, Kumarpara, Alupatti, Talaimari, Bhadra, Rajshahi University-adjacent Kajla area, Binodpur, Chauddpai and Katakhali areas. Rickshaw-autorickshaws have also made sufficient movement. Shops have also opened. Police are deployed at every corner.
Offices, shops opened in Barishal: Compared to the last two days, the activity among the residents of Barishal city has increased several times. All shops including banks and insurance offices, court, wholesale and retail shops have been opened. 12 hours curfew is now relaxed in Barisal city from 6 am to 6 pm. During this period, activity was seen among the working people. From 9 am on Thursday morning, the city's wholesale markets, office blocks and bank insurance companies were seen to be operating normally. However, due to low internet speed, the performance is a little slow. Barishal Naval Port official Abdur Razzak said the Barishal-Dhaka launch traffic will remain closed until further orders. Barishal Police Commissioner Zihadul Kabir said in response to the demands of the businessmen, the curfew has been relaxed for about 12 hours. We are also constantly reviewing the situation. Curfew will be lifted from Barisal anytime.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on July 26 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque Khan)
