They return to work on foot to save job

Thousands of garment workers, who went their home districts to enjoy vacation, have returned to the work on foot amid transport shutdown to save job.

Though the operation of the public transport remained suspended, garment factories reopened on Saturday, leaving the workers into great trouble on return to work.

The workers alleged that the owners warned them of dismissing if they fail to join workplace in time that forced many of them to set off on foot.

They fear coronavirus but don't want to take the risk of being jobless.

Afzal Hossain works at a garment factory in Chandana Chourasta area in Gazipur city. He along with wife and children left Mymensingh's Tarakanda on a pickup van early Saturday but police barred the vehicle on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. As a result, they have to start walking to reach workplace. 

"All things, including public transport, are closed but our factory is open. In one hand, fear of coronaviru, on the other hand fear of losing job. What will we do and where go," he said.

Huge garment workers were seen from Jaina Bazar to Bhabanipur area on the highway today returning workplace amid coronavirus fright.

Mawna Highway Police Station officer in-charge Manzurul Haque said many workers went home after factories closure to prevent the spread of the virus. Now they started returning to work on pickup and truck due to public transport shutdown as the factories reopened today.

"We are making them and common people understand the risk of COVID-19 transmission so that they go back to home, and taking legal acting against goods-laden vehicles for carrying passenger," the OC added. 

Bangladesh went on a 10-day general holiday from March 26 to keep people at home with a view to stemming the virus. Later, the holiday or shutdown was extended for five days to April 9. April 10 and 11 fell on weekly holidays.   

As of Saturday, 70 people contracted the novel coronavirus or OVID-19 and eight died in the country.