Although the individuals are advised to maintain at least one metre distance from others and avoid indoor and outdoor gathering, many expatriates and travelers in different areas of the country, particularly in Sylhet region, do not follow the health warnings.
The expatriates are not keeping in home quarantine. They are visiting local markets and relatives. They are also arranging marriage ceremony where hundreds of people are gathered amid outbreak of coronavirus. Alongside the marriage ceremony, football tournament arranged by local clubs and religious gathering and other public programmes are going on ignoring the government’s instructions. In this backdrop, many people are in panic, as they fear of spearing coronavirus in Sylhet.
A Middle East expatriate returned home on March 11 and had been ignoring the government instructions for maintaining a 14-day mandatory home quarantine on arrival from abroad. He was found outside his home till March 20 as the scheduled date of his marriage ceremony was on March 20 (Friday).
On information, the local administration asked him to keep in home quarantine. In this backdrop, the marriage ceremony took place in his absence as well as from home quarantine of the bridegroom.
He is Shibbir Ahmed, 26, son of Shafiqul Haque of Niz Baurbagh Pachchhim village under Dakshin Banigram union of Kanaighat upazila in Sylhet. His newlywed spouse is Masuma Akhter Tusi, 22, daughter of Azir Uddin of Sripur village at the same upazila.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Kanaighat Bariul Karim Khan on Saturday said, “We asked the youth to keep in home quarantine till March 25. We also asked the newlywed bride to stay at her father’s home and she is under our strict surveillance. The newlywed couple cannot live together before medical report of Shibbir Ahmed. He will be examined by the health department after March 25 as he returned home on March 11.”
The local people are happy over the initiative by the local administration. Tawhidul Islam, a local journalist, said that the local administration should take initiatives against other expatriates, travellers and public programmes.
Like Shibbir Ahmed, many other expatriates and travellers are found outside home. Masum Ahmed, a youth of Kaptanpur village of Kanaighat upazila, visited India for several days. He returned home on March 20 and uploaded pictures with his family members on March 21 as he did not go to home quarantine. Talking to the Bangladesh Post, he said that he is sorry and he will follow the instructions over coronavirus.
The marriage ceremony of Md Niaz Kalam and Fatema Akhter Juhra of Rajaganj union of the upazila took place at Anwara Community Centre at the union on Saturday. Several hundred people took part in the marriage ceremony. On the other hand, a football tournament is going on at Jhingabari area of the upazila.
Health experts said that gathering of the people in marriage ceremony and other indoor and outdoor programme will help spread coronavirus.
