Most shopping malls stay shut in Dhaka as traders wary of coronavirus

Most of the shopping malls in Dhaka remained shut on Sunday even after the government allowed limited hours reopening ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr with strict health safeguards to follow.

Some roadside shops restarted business while the others were watching the situation cautiously as the number of coronavirus cases continued to soar.

The New Super Market near the New Market reopened in the morning but no one was following the rules properly. The number of customers was paltry.

A slight disorder broke out when about 4,000 workers of 1,200 shops gathered to enter the mall. The authorities took the situation under control later, Shahid Ullah, president of New Super Market Traders Association, told bdnews24.com.

The other malls in the area, including the New Market, Chandrima, Chandni Chawk, Dhanmondi Hawkers Market, Badruddoza Super Market, and Noorjahan Market were closed, according to the owners associations and law enforcers.

Bata Market on Elephant Road reopened, New Market Police Station Inspector Yasin Ali said.

The New Super Market authorities took initiatives to disinfect the shops and arranged sanitiser for the shoppers and shopkeepers, but other small markets did not take any such step. The police threatened to close them if they continued flouting the rules.

“Some fashion brand outlets have reopened, but not on the key streets. We will watch the situation at least for four more days before considering reopening our shops,” Shishir Ahmed, the general secretary of Dhanmondi Happy Arcade Shop Owners’ Association, said.

Mirpur Shopping Mall, one of the largest in Mirpur, and the other shopping centres in the area remained shut. Some of the boutique houses on the streets at Mirpur-2 resumed trading, Mirpur Model Police Station OC Mustafizur Rahman said.

All Bailey Road shops, including those at Navana Bailey Star, reopened.

“We resumed sales following requests from our customers over the phone and internet. We are following all guidelines laid out by the government,” an official of fashion house Artisan said.

Mouchak and Anarkoli malls kept the shutters down, while some other shops in the area reopened. They took measures like arranging hand sanitiser, Ramna Police Station OC Monirul Islam said.

Only seven of the 65 shops in Sunrise Plaza on Mirpur Road were closed, the mall’s Deputy General Manager Harunur Rashid said.

“We were very much scared. But now we see hope,” he said.

The small shops sold goods worth Tk 10,000 on an average while the sales were twice as much at the larger shops, according to Harunur.

“The owners and the workers, all are happy. We were able to give each of the workers at least Tk 1,000,” he said.