Mohammad Jamil Khan and Mahbubur Rahman Khan

While the government has extended the ongoing shutdown to May 16 to ensure social distancing, many continue to crowd roads amid the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

Apart from shopping, thin presence of law enforcers is one of the main reasons behind it, sources said.

Police have been playing a vital role in ensuring social distancing, which is crucial to contain the spread of the coronavirus, but they are having to pay a price: at least 953 of their members have already contracted the disease and five died.

Against this backdrop, the force has brought changes to its plan to deploy manpower, believing it would help avoid coronavirus transmission. Only half its members are out at the field at a time for a week. The other group is deployed the next week.

Lack of PPE, however, continues to remain a cause of concern.

Visiting different areas of the capital, including Kalabagan, Panthapath, Jhigatola, Dhanmondi, Eskaton, Moghbazar, Malibag and Jatrabari, The Daily Star correspondents saw people crowding before groceries, stationery and roadside shops for buying different commodities in the last couple of days.

“About a week ago, the road used to be empty, but now it is filled with rickshaws and vans,” said Abdul Halim, a resident of Shahid Faruk Road in Jatrabari, considered a Covid-19 hotspot.

It’s hard to believe a nationwide shutdown is in place, he said.

Robin Hasan, a private jobholder, went to an ATM booth in Moghbazar from his Eskaton home to withdraw money yesterday noon.

Talking to the correspondent later, he said, “I travelled on my motorcycle. For the first time since the shutdown began on March 26, I had to honk to get through people.”