Disregarding physical distancing directive, 300 people gather at Ctg police station for relief
When deserted roads have become a common sight with the nationwide shutdown in force to prevent the spread of Covid-19, a gathering of a few hundred people elbowing each other is what caught our correspondent's eye outside the Bandar Police Station in Chattogram this afternoon.
The Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) has launched a relief distribution programme with an aim to help about 4,000 destitute families in the port city.
About 300 people haphazardly gathered outside the police station around 12pm today. Policemen, wearing masks and gloves, were trying in vain to get them to form queues.
Neither police nor the beneficiaries were practicing physical distancing, a primary measure encouraged worldwide to slow the spread of the deadly virus, reports our Chattogram correspondent.
When asked about such mismanagement, Hamidul Alam, deputy commissioner (port zone) at CMP, said he was not aware of the chaos. "The OCs of the four police stations were asked to disburse the aid, maintaining proper safety," he told The Daily Star.
"It is tough to manage a crowd who are desperate to get the aid. I mean, we cannot charge baton in such circumstances," he added.
Sukanto Bhattacharya, officer-in-charge of Bandar Police station, could not be reached over phone despite several attempts.
Comments