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MD SHAHNAWAZ KHAN
The ongoing clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies, which ignited over the quota reform protests, brought Dhaka to a standstill yesterday.
Due to unavailability of public transport, essential services and shutdown of all sorts of businesses, people had to suffer immensely.
Moreover, countrywide internet shutdown since July 18 have added another layer of uncertainty and suffering to the ongoing crisis.
As violence escalated in most of the major roads in the city, shops, markets, and office establishments along these streets remained mostly closed for the last few days.
In many areas, residents could not even access essential services like hospitals and diagnostic centres. People from low income groups, daily wage earners and small business owners were the most affected.
Zahid Hasan, a driver of a city bus that runs from Mohammadpur to Sadarghat, said, “If I complete a full trip, I earn around Tk 300. In the last one week, I could only make three to four trips. I have to support a family of seven. Now I don’t have any money to buy food for my children.”
Unavailability of public transport has also affected commuters who are venturing out for essential activities.
Sharnali Saha, an employee of a healthcare organisation, said, “As I work for a healthcare organisation, I have to go to my office no matter what is happening on the streets. Without any transport, I have to walk for miles daily to reach my workplace. Even rickshaws cannot pass through blocked roads. Doctors and patients are also suffering while trying to reach healthcare centres.”
“If this continues for a few more days, I shall not be able to attend my office anymore,” she said.
The sufferings of patients and healthcare providers can be clearly seen in front of the gates of major hospitals like Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.
As there is no public transport, and very few rickshaws and taxis are on the roads, patients have to walk a long way to get medical services.
Jahanara Begum, a cancer patient, was trying to visit a treatment centre in Shyamoli from the Mohammadpur area. Finding no transport in the morning, her son had to take her there in a wheelchair, walking all the way to the hospital.
Her son, Murshidul Hasan, said, “This has become unbearable. The government cannot disable the entire country for their failure to deal with a justified movement.”
Terrified by the violence, very few people are coming out of their homes. As a result, the once busy streets, restaurants and market places all over the city lie mostly empty, even during Friday afternoon.
Md Arafat, a restaurant manager at Dhanmondi’s Shimanto Square, said, “Our business has completely stopped. People are too afraid to come out of their homes. Who will go for shopping and dining out in this situation?”
“As we did not have any customers over the last few days, we had to throw away a large amount of food today. As a result, we suffered heavy losses,” he added.
The shop owners of Dhaka’s kitchen markets are also suffering due to a lack of customers and shortage of supplies.
Md Sobhan Mia, a businessman of Dhaka’s Krishi Market, said, “Very few trucks could pass through Dhaka-Aricha highway for the last three days. Supplies of vegetables and spices could not be replenished. If situation goes on like this, prices of essential food items and other commodities will increase again in the coming days. People will suffer a lot.”
“Why didn’t they agree with the legitimate demands of the students? It could have ended all the problems easily. We don’t know how they will solve it now,” he added.