Shawdesh Desk:

Highway Police in Cumilla Tuesday claimed to have seized a number of microbuses and pick-up vehicles for violating lockdown norms.

According to Additional Superintendent of Cumilla Police Molla Mohammad Shahin, cops are keeping a strict vigil on all roads, particularly the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, to prevent the entry of public transport vehicles carrying home-bound passengers from other districts ahead of the Eid holidays.

“This is to ensure strict compliance with all lockdown norms. Though bus services have resumed in cities, inter-district public transport services still remain suspended,” the police officer said.

These public transport vehicles were seized on Monday night for carrying home-bound passengers from Dhaka ahead of the Eid holidays, police said, adding a number of passengers were also found without masks and flouting social distancing norms.

As per the directives of the government, police have set up several check posts on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway for curbing the mad rush of home-bound people.

The drive to seize vehicles flouting lockdown norms will continue till the restrictions are lifted by the government, said ASP Shahin.

At least 100 buses have been seized for flouting government directives in Cumilla district in the last two days.

Public transport services were suspended in Bangladesh on April 5, with the government announcing a countrywide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. However, the government subsequently allowed the resumption of intra-city bus services.

The transport owners’ associations have already urged the government to resume bus services across the country and demanded food assistance for all unemployed transport workers in Bangladesh.