Residents of Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Staff Quarters have been collecting water from a WASA pump for the last three days after their own pump was damaged. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Residents of Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Staff Quarters have been collecting water from a WASA pump for the last three days after their own pump was damaged. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Bir Uttom Rafiqul Islam Avenue in Dhaka’s North Badda barely has space for two buses. Haphazardly parked rickshaws and cars have narrowed the street while buses make the situation worse by stopping randomly to take and drop passengers. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

People waited for hours in long tailbacks at Kakoli in Banani on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway on Thursday, Jun 17, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Many prefer motorcycles to zigzag through traffic congestions in Dhaka, but even the motorcyclists were caught up in long tailbacks on Thursday, Jun 17, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Traffic congestion a regular sight in Dhaka’s Bangla Motor with the main road narrowed by metro rail project work, but the gridlock reached an unbearable level on Thursday, Jun 17, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Traffic stalls on Bir Uttam Rafiqul Islam Avenue in Dhaka’s Badda on Thursday, Jun 17, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Traffic stalls on Bir Uttam Rafiqul Islam Avenue in Dhaka’s Badda on Thursday, Jun 17, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Activists of Samajik Protirodh Committee, a social rights group, demonstrate outside the National Museum in Dhaka’s Shahbagh on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021 against a parliamentary committee’s recommendation to bar female officials from joining the guard of honour for deceased freedom fighters. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Dhaka-bound passengers crowded Joydebpur Railway Station on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021 as they prefer trains to buses due to traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Dhaka-bound passengers crowded Joydebpur Railway Station on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021 as they prefer trains to buses due to traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Although the government has ordered public transport operators to allow passengers at half the capacity, local trains are not following the rules. Dhaka-bound passengers travelled by Balaka Commuter from Joydebpur by flouting the physical-distancing rules on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Minu Akter, who was serving the life term of another convict after being promised that the convict would look after her children, was freed from Chattogram Central Jail after three years on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021 following High Court orders. Photo: Suman Babu

Members of several student organisations rally at the altar of the Raju Memorial sculpture at Dhaka University ahead of a march to the Ministry of Education to press for the reopening of educational institutions, vaccination of all stakeholders and the waiver of student fees during the pandemic, Jun 16, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Members of several leftist student organisations march towards the Ministry of Education, demanding reopening of educational institutions, vaccination of all stakeholders and the waiver of tuition fees during the pandemic, Jun 16, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir speaks at a roundtable organised by the party’s committee on the celebrations of 50 years of independence at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021 to mark what the party says is the “Black Day for Media”.

Police block a march to the education ministry led by leftist student organisations, demanding the reopening of educational institutions and the waiver of tuition fees, Jun 16, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Police clash with activists of leftist student organisations, calling for the reopening of educational institutions and waiver of fees during the pandemic, among other demands, near the Secretariat on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Police clash with activists of leftist student organisations, calling for the reopening of educational institutions and waiver of fees during the pandemic, among other demands, near the Secretariat on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Members of a labour rights institution form a human chain in front of the National Press Club, demanding the inclusion of domestic workers in the provisions of Bangladesh Labour Act and implementation of the Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy 2015, Jun 16, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

BIWTA demolished illegal structures to free from encroachment the banks of a tributary of the Buriganga river in Dhaka’s Kamrangirchar on Tuesday, Jun 15, 2021.

BIWTA demolished illegal structures to free from encroachment the banks of a tributary of the Buriganga river in Dhaka’s Kamrangirchar on Tuesday, Jun 15, 2021.