Experts hint that the outbreak is gradually approaching its peak in Bangladesh as the authorities on Wednesday said 10 more people died and 390 new cases of infection were detected in 24 hours till 2:30pm. With this, the death toll hits 120 and the total number of cases jumped to 3,772, according to data from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). We know that the coronavirus situation is likely to worsen further as we are just approaching the peak of the pandemic curve. Increasing the number of Covid-19 tests, ramping up contact tracing and enforcing lockdown more strictly are likely to get “good results”. However the government has failed to contain people — social media posts show certain areas in and out of Dhaka are full of people cheek to jowl who are busy shopping or trying to make a living.
So among the lower and middle classes the government has failed to miserably contain the movement of people — as was recently evinced by the movement of over a lakh people to attend the funeral prayers of a religious leader. The local administration did not take adequate measures there or in certain other areas both in and out of Dhaka city. They must follow procedures more stringently so that the curve is flattened. If we judge the situation by social media reports — the flattening of the curve will be outdone if we continue to behave irresponsibly as a nation. No nation can be policed in its entirety.
The essential needs of the people for surviving when they are asked to remain locked in must be made available easily. In rich countries food packages are delivered free of cost. When economic activities are shutdown under government orders, however justly, then also the reality has to be accepted that financial crisis is created for rich and poor equally. The government seems incapable to take into consideration the hardships of the people and the government’s obligation to the people. The ministers and others in the government are getting their fat pay packets whether they work or not.
