As Eid holidays are over, now thousands of holidaymakers from south-western districts overcrowded the ferry terminals in a bid to return to Dhaka to join their workplaces. They are flocking to Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Banglabazar ferry ghats to cross the river and reach the capital as offices reopened on Sunday following a three-day vacation. The returnees seemed hardly concerned about maintaining hygiene rules although there is an alarming Covid surge in neighbouring India and Nepal. Read: BGB personnel keep watch on Covid safety protocols at Shimulia ferry ghat The detection of a deadlier Indian variant of virus in Bangladesh has also raised serious concerns here in recent days. UNB Munshiganj correspondent says microbus, cars and auto-rickshaws are charging extra fares from passengers as public transport services remained suspended as part of the government restrictions to stem the transmission of coronavirus. AGM of Bangladesh Inland water transport Authority (BIWTA) Shafiqul Islam said ferry services are in operation to carry vehicles providing emergency services even though public transport services have been suspended. “People are now returning to Dhaka and adjacent districts through the overcrowded ferries without maintaining social distancing or wearing masks, raising the risks of virus transmission,” he said.  

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Saturday said it would be wrong to judge Bangladesh with the presence of a few thousand people crowding the ferry terminals.   “Ninety-five percent of the people are following the decision of the government,” he said at a views exchange meeting in Dinajpur’s Birol.   Thousands of people left the cities for their home districts before the Eid and started returning to their workplaces after the religious festival. Images of people thronging the ferry terminals flooded social media and health experts feared that the country could see a higher number of coronavirus cases in the coming days.   Meanwhile, the government has decided not to extend the general holidays, aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus, and partially lifted restrictions, allowing offices and transports to resume on limited scale.   Health experts told UNB that the only way to keep the coronavirus situation under control is to properly follow the health directives issued by the government.