Weekend sees quieter day

Although the government extended the ongoing lockdown for another five days till August 10 to curb the spread of coronavirus, it seemed to have little to no effect on people as many were out on the street yesterday.

However, the number of vehicles and people was lower compared to the previous days as both public and private offices were closed.

There were fewer private cars, but many motorcycles were seen plying the streets, some of them rented on ride-sharing basis, though informally as ride-sharing apps remain paused. Many rickshaws were seen running on VIP roads.

Law enforcers were seen checking vehicles randomly at major city points.

However, not all who came out were wearing masks. "It is tough to wear a mask while pulling a rickshaw under the sun," said Anowar, a rickshaw-puller at Gulistan.

His passenger Md Sadeque also did not wear a mask. Asked, he said he has it in his pocket and only temporary took it off.

The scenario across different localities of Dhaka resembled a regular weekend with less traffic and people thronging markets to buy their daily essentials.

"We have come out from home to do some shopping as it feels like it's [lockdown] been relaxed a bit," said Nazmul Hossain a resident of Distillery Road in Gandaria, who was seen along with his six-year-old daughter.