River vessels will be allowed to operate from Saturday evening to Sunday 12 pm to carry factory workers, said the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Saturday. To carry the workers of RMG and export-oriented factories, the government has allowed the vessel movement, said a media release issued by the BIWTA in the evening. The BIWTA requested vessel owners, masters, drivers, staff and passengers to follow health guidelines during the period. Read: No decision yet on lockdown extension: Farhad Although public transport movement remained suspended, thousands of people started returning to Dhaka on the 9th day of the lockdown on Saturday following the government’s announcement that mills and factories will reopen on Sunday (Aug 1). Shimulia ferry terminal in Munshiganj saw a huge crowd as people from south western districts who were coming back to the capital to join their work. The vessel movement was suspended from July 23, 6 am as the government reimposed a countrywide ‘stricter’ lockdown till August 5, midnight as per a Cabinet Division’s order. Read: Covid kills 218 more in Bangladesh as its catastrophe continues Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the BIWTA, however, allowed vessels to carry passengers at half of their capacities on condition of maintaining health guidelines from July 14 midnight to 6am on July 23. A record rise in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown suspending all outdoor activities unless there is any emergency.

The government will strengthen its monitoring over unfit river vessels to put an end to accidents on waterways, said State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury.