Shop owners and employees have taken to the streets for the second consecutive day in Dhaka, protesting the government's decision to shut down all shopping malls and markets during the weeklong lockdown.
Several hundred traders in the New Market and adjacent areas staged demonstrations blocking the road on Monday, the first day of lockdown, the government imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
They brought out processions demanding the government allow them to continue their businesses, maintaining health safety rules during the lockdown.
The traders said they incurred huge losses last year when the pandemic broke out.
They feared of incurring losses again for the ongoing lockdown as the Eid season has started.
Additional law enforcers have been deployed in the area to keep the situation under control, SM Kaiyum, officer-in-charge of New Market police station, told an English daily.
Also Read - New Market shop owners, workers stage demo protesting lockdown, clash with police
In Rajshahi city, shop owners and employees also staged demonstrations demanding to allow them to continue their businesses.
They blocked the Shaheb Bazar road in front of RDA market and chanted different slogans to press home their demand.
On Sunday, traders blocked traffic movement and vandalized a number of vehicles during their demonstrations, and at one point clashed with police in Dhaka's New Market area.
They demanded the government cancel the lockdown, which goes into effect at 6am on Monday, or at least allow the markets to stay open for four hours every day during the shutdown.
Meanwhile, many office-goers who could not get any public transport to reach their workplaces, also demonstrated blocking the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Dhaka's Rayerbagh area on Monday morning.
The country started a seven-day lockdown on Monday, aiming to contain the second wave of Covid-19.
All modes of public transport (road, river, rail and domestic flights) will remain suspended during the period, among other restrictions.
Our Rajshahi correspondent Dulal Abdullah contributed to this report
