Public transport can operate till tomorrow noon: PID

The government has decided to allow all public transport to operate till 12pm tomorrow, to facilitate workers and concerned officials of export-oriented factories returning to their workplaces.

The Press Information Department (PID) issued a notice in this regard tonight.

The decision came a day after the government allowed export-oriented factories to reopen from tomorrow amid the ongoing "strict lockdown".

Meanwhile, transport owners said they would operate buses from tonight for factory workers returning to workplaces.

"Operation of bus service will resume from tonight to carry workers. We came to know about the decision from home ministry," Khondaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, told The Daily Star at 9:45pm.

However, a top official of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority told The Daily Star at 9:30pm that they were yet to get any formal decision regarding resumption of bus operation, but came to know about such decision informally.

"We are not issuing any formal order resuming bus service but if anyone operates bus and other vehicles with workers till tomorrow, none will obstruct them," the official said.

An official of Bangladesh Railway at 9:00pm said they were yet to get any formal decision about resuming train operation.

Besides, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has eased restrictions on the movement of water transport from this evening until 12:00 noon tomorrow, to allow workers of export-oriented factories to come to Dhaka and resume their work.

"We have relaxed the ongoing restrictions [lockdown] from 7:45pm today to 12:00 noon tomorrow so that workers of different export-oriented factories can come to Dhaka," Rafiqul Islam, director (Marine Safety and Traffic Management) of BIWTA told The Daily Star this evening.

"The way they are travelling to Dhaka is very risky. Therefore, we have decided to relax the restrictions," he added.