Safety measures top priority Housing societies of Dhaka impose voluntary lockdown 

Dhaka has so far witnessed 84 coronavirus cases – the highest in the country till yesterday noon. 

The government – though it is late – has finally imposed a cluster-based lockdown on some neighbourhoods. But most city people hardly bother about such restrictions. 

In this situation, many locality-based societies, mainly welfare associations run by house owners, have come up with measures to stop entry to or exit from their respective residential areas.

The FT Team recently talked to city residents and the organisers of several housing societies across Dhaka metropolis. 

Nazmul Alam Rupom, an organiging secretary of Malibag Chowdhurypara Society in the capital's mid zone, said his society has closed all the entrances to restrict outsiders.

The society has been maintaining some programmes such as spreading insecticid,  bleaching powder on the road, mosques, front of the shops, drains on regular basis to stem the outbreak of coronavirus.

"The society has taken the measure to prevent the coronavirus infection from outside the society's territory. The residents are also discouraged to go outside," he said .

Although we are trying our level best to aware residents for maintaining social distance and to stay at home; but most of the times they are violating govt directives.

However, law enforcement agencies specially Bangladesh Military forces often patrolling our areas. They are always asking our citizens to stay at home and not to come outside without any valid emergency reason. 

As we are adjacent to a bazar area; many people are moving in the road for the sake of shopping, medicine. Many of them often gossiping in tea stalls, shops for a long time, he added.

Asking about taking any action or penalt, Nazmul Alam Rupom told FT Team "we are thingking about taking stern action againgst those violator by penalise them. We asks local police station for increase patroling in our area. At the same time, we are also thinking about to impose voluntary lockdown."

He believes that if the societies continue doing it for at least a month, the number of infections during the pandemic will come down.

"Malibagh society is now arranging some relief contains 5kg rice, 1kg onion, 2 kg potato, 1kg salt, 1 litre soyabin oil and 2 soap for those who earns their livelihood on daily basis," Rupom said.

Nazmul Alam Rupom also thanks those kind hearted people who donates in their relief programme and asks all to stand beside country's poor people.

Nazmul Hoque, a residen in Malibagh Chowdhurypara area, told FT Team "only emergency service providers' vehicles from outside are allowed to enter our area. Most of the shop oweners always close their premises by 3 pm. Only pharmacys are open till 1am."

Artist and writer Mustofa Zaman, who lives in the Nanadan Apartments at Kalyanpur, also said almost all housing societies across Shyamoli and Adabor are prioritising social distancing as a safety measure against the coronavirus contagion.

"The societies have already locked the entry gates," Zaman said.

So far, at least nine people at Basabo area have tested positive for Covid-19. The news has caused local people to panic. 

"Although there is no big housing society in the Basabo area, small groups of societies closed the entry gates of different alleys on April 4. They are not allowing anyone to enter or leave their respective societies. 

Residents except for physicians, bankers and journalists are discouraged to go out. 

At present, no vehicle is allowed to enter through the alleys," said Ahammad Foyez, a Dhaka-based journalist who resides in South Goran.   

Montakim Ahamed Chowdhury, a resident at South Banashree, shared the same experience.

He said his society allows the entry of its residents only. 

Farid Uddin Khandakar, a former organiser at the South Banasree Housing Society, said that all the entry gates have been made off-limits to outsiders. 

In Monipuripara area under Tejgaon, Monipuripara Welfare Association has locked all the seven entry gates for outsiders. Only the locals driving private cars can enter the area using a single gate. 

Tofazzal Hossen, a security guard at the Tolarbagh residential area, said only emergency service providers' vehicles from outside are allowed to enter Monipuripara. 

Amid the risk of coronavirus infection, some locality-based societies in the capital's posh areas have also restricted the entry of outsiders, even housemaids and on-hire chauffeurs. 

From March 24, the Baridhara Society and the Niketan Society have gone on complete lockdown. 

Baridhara Society's president Abdur Rauf and Niketan Society's general secretary AKM Sahiuzzaman Haris confirmed the matter to media.