Health rules hardly followed in crowded city malls

Despite government directives to follow Covid-19 health regulations in the markets, shoppers are hardly following health safety rules in the city's shopping malls.

On Sunday, the capital's Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, New Market, Chandni Chowk, Gausia, Noor Mansion, and Chandrima Super Market were heavily crowded since morning. In the packed markets, shoppers were not being able to maintain social distancing.

On a visit, this correspondent found the elevators jam-packed in Bashundhara City Shopping Complex and the foot-over bridge near New Market, a madhouse.

Despite regular miking by the authorities requesting people to wear face masks in the market, many shoppers and traders were not wearing face masks and a few chose to place their masks below their chins.

With more people showing up in the markets, shopkeepers were happy with the customer turnout this year.

Sohel Khan, a shop owner in Chandni Chowk, said that customers have started showing up since Friday. If business stays this good, he hopes to make up for the loss he incurred during the lockdown so that he can pay his employees salaries and bonuses.

Talking about the wholesale business situation during Eids since the pandemic started, Nazim Uddin, president of the Chandni Chowk Shop Owners' Association, told The Business Standard (TBS) that wholesale businesses have dropped by 50% in the last two Eids. But this year, sales in the retail market have increased slightly compared to last year, he added.

Regarding the blatant disregard for market health rules, Uddin said it happened because each buyer is bringing three to four extra people to shop, which is making it hard to maintain social distancing.

But while businesses did well, some shoppers complained about goods being unusually overpriced this year.

Talking to TBS about the sudden price hike, Hadiuzzaman, a customer, said, "I first went to Bashundhara City Shopping Complex but now I have come to New Market as products at Bashundhara were very overpriced and I could not afford them."