The desperate workers from the southern districts did not care about social distancing amid a nationwide shutdown of offices, workplaces and transport services imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus. “People are returning to the capital as some garment factories are reopening in Dhaka,” said GM Ashraful, the in-charge of Mawa Naval Police Camp. The pressure of passengers was so high in the morning that the ferries did not have any places left for vehicles, he said. On Friday, hundreds of workers started a long journey on foot to Dhaka from Mymensingh on hearing that their factories were reopening. Facing criticism for the decision to reopen the factories amid risk of contagion, the garment exporters’ lobbying group BGMEA on Saturday night urged its members to keep their plants closed through the nationwide shutdown to April 11.

Source: bd News24 April 04, 2020 17:15 UTC