A large number of people with the mad rush for home gathered pace in different bus, launch and train stations on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. Thousands of city dwellers were leaving Dhaka to celebrate the Eid with their dear and near ones on Thursday. There was also a huge rush in almost every cattle market of the capital as the Eid-ul-Azha is scheduled to be celebrated on Saturday.
Experts said, “People hardly maintain or can maintain the health guidelines to avoid the risk of coronavirus spreading. Such gathering at buses, launches and trains can intensify the risk of transmission of coronavirus. Cattle markets are not out of the purview of coronavirus risk.”
However, transport workers claimed that there were less people travelling this year due to coronavirus pandemic and ongoing flood situation of the country.
The rate of transmission of the deadly virus and infection by it had been increased during Eid-ul-Fitr. The virus can be spread more in the country after Eid-ul-Azha as people are roaming without following proper safety rules, experts said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's personal physician Professor ABM Abdullah said, “The movement of thousands of homebound people is intensifying the risk of coronavirus transmission and infection as many of them are not maintaining health rules and guidelines properly.”
He advised everyone to follow the health rules to keep themselves and their family members safe from the deadly virus.
Public Health Expert Dr Abdur Rahman said, “People of Bangladesh are not aware of coronavirus. Even, many people do not believe the existence of this deadly virus. They hardly follow health guidelines while they are travelling somewhere.”
He also said that the coronavirus situation in Bangladesh is not stable. But, more than 70 percent of Covid-19 positive people do not have symptoms in their bodies.
Dr. Abdur Rahman said, “The spreading of coronavirus will be halted if awareness is increased among people.”
During the last Eid-ul-Fitr, the number of traveling people had been increased and they did not follow health guidelines. As a result, infection rate had been increased after the Eid vacation. Accordingly, there is a risk of increasing the infection rate this time too, experts said.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Professor Dr Nazrul Islam, who is also a virologist, said, “People do not follow health rules. Many people don’t wear mask and maintain social distance.”
“In this situation, the law enforcers should be stricter so that none can ignore health guidelines. There is no other way to bring the situation under control without raising awareness and maintaining proper health guidelines,” he added.