Migrant exodus begins in Dhaka as Bangladesh tightens Covid lockdown

Tens of thousands of migrant workers fled Bangladesh's capital on June 27 on the eve of a tightened lockdown that will curtail most economic activity and confine people to their homes as coronavirus infections soar. Take a look at the pictures…(Image Credit: AFP Photos)

Tens of thousands of migrant workers fled Bangladesh's capital on Sunday, on the eve of a tightened lockdown that will curtail most economic activity and confine people to their homes as coronavirus infections soar.

Restrictions on activities and movement have been in place since mid-April as cases and deaths jumped, with over 5,000 new cases and a pandemic-high of 119 deaths was reported on June 27. The resurgence has prompted the government to toughen restrictions in stages, with economic activity -- including shops, markets, transportation and offices -- to shut down.

The closure sparked an exodus from Dhaka, the capital.

Ferries have been operating on an overdrive, with some running services 24 hours a day and cramming more than 1,000 passengers onto each trip.

People board a ferry as authorities ordered a new lockdown to contain the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, in Munshiganj.

A senior official at the state-run Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation told AFP that at least 50,000 people had crossed the river by ferries on June 27 alone.

At a river station in the rural town of Sreenagar about 70 km south of Dhaka, thousands queued to cross the Padma, a tributary of the Ganges.

People walk with their belongings to board a ferry as authorities ordered a new lockdown to contain the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

An aerial view of people boarding a ferry in Munshiganj.