Shopping Malls: Big 2 won’t open, some in dilemma
Some of the capital's largest shopping malls have decided not to reopen on May 10 when the coronavirus restrictions will be relaxed.
Shopowners at some other malls said they were not sure what to do as the number of new cases continues to rise.
Meanwhile, the home ministry ordered shoppers and store keepers to wear masks at all times when the markets reopen.
According to the website of Basundhara City Shopping Complex, nearly two lakh people visit it on a typical day. But during festivals, the number is between five and seven lakh.
Kazi Shah Alam, an officer of the mall's security section, said the market will not open before Eid.
Another maga shopping mall, Jamuna Future Park, is also unlikely to open.
Jamuna Group Director Mohammed Alamgir Alam told The Daily Star, "Considering everyone's safety, we have decided not to open the market. Shop owners might be disappointed, but we can't take responsibility for people's lives."
However, many shopkeepers from Dhaka New Market, a major attraction for shoppers, have repeatedly been asking the government for permission to reopen.
After the authorities reported 790 new cases yesterday, the same people told The Daily Star that they were not sure reopening would be the safest move.
New Market business association leader Dewan Aminul Islam Shahin said his employees were regularly cleaning the market with dininfectants.
"We'll follow the guidelines," he said, adding there are over 500 shops in the market.
President of Bangladesh Abhyantarin Garments Manufacturing Owners Association Alauddin Malik told The Daily Star that he along with leaders of other associations will meet the officer-in-charge of Chwakbazar Police Station today and decide when to reopen.
There are several markets including, Police Plaza Concord Shopping Mall in Gulshan, Polwel Carnation in Uttara, and Polwel Shopping Complex in Naya Paltan, built for the welfare of police.
Ferdous Ali Chowdhury, assistant inspector general (Welfare Trust) at Police Headquarters, told this newspaper yesterday that the shop owners were asked to ensure sanitisers and masks for everyone inside the buildings.
"We hope we will be able to make proper preparations in the three days before reopening," he said.
Muntasirul Islam, deputy commissioner of Lalbagh Division, said,"We asked market authorities in Lalbagh and Chawk Bazar to ensure social distancing and other precautions."
They will have to appoint volunteers, mark places where shoppers will stand, have sanitiser at the entrances, and masks and gloves for employees, and disinfection rooms, he said, adding that police were working on issuing further instructions.
According to the home ministry directives, shopping malls can be open from 10:00am to 4:00pm, given there will be sanitisers at the entrances, no one will be allowed inside the buildings without gloves and masks, and there will be a banner in front of malls saying that disregarding the health directives will cause life risk.
Signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Kaizer Mohammad Rabari, the ministry directives were sent to Inspector General of Police, Director General (DG) of Border Guard Bangladesh, DG Coast Guard and DG Asnar and VDP on Tuesday.
Incorporating the directives, the Police Headquarters sent a 13-point directive to all unit chiefs and commanders across the country.
It said people will be allowed to visit the markets of their respective areas only. Shoppers will have to carry their
NIDs, reads the directives signed by Haider Ali Khan, additional DIG (intelligence and special affairs).
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