Another 14-day of ‘strict lockdown’ began on Friday morning and will last until August 5 midnight as the Covid-19 situation has taken a worrying turn with surging deaths and cases from the dreaded Delta variant of the virus. This restriction came after an eight-day relaxation of public movement for celebrating the Eid-ul-Azha. According to official data, the pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 19,046 people and infected 11,53,344 in Bangladesh.
Dhaka city thoroughfares remained virtually empty on the last two days of the lockdown, as no public vehicle was allowed to ply, and all shops and malls, offices, garment factories, which were allowed to open in the earlier lockdowns, have been closed this time. Meanwhile, thousands of people who reached Dhaka on Friday and Saturday mornings by different modes of transport from distant districts were seen walking to their respective destinations or waiting for transport at the Sadarghat Launch Terminal, Gulistan, Kanchpur, Aminbazar-Gabtoli, Jatrabari and Abdullahpur areas in the capital.
It has already been announced that strict disciplinary action will be taken if one goes out without a credible reason during the lockdown. Thus, Army, RAB and BGB personnel, deployed to enforce the strict restrictions, were seen checking the movement of people and vehicles at different points in the capital in addition to the police performing their duties. Earlier on July 13, the government relaxed the restriction from July 15 to July 22, reopening all businesses and public transports to facilitate the celebration of Eid, movement of people, pre-Eid business activities and also keeping economic activities normal.
Lockdown must not mean thoughtless police action without measures for vaccination and food aid for the jobless needy ones. For government functionaries lockdown must not be a time for doing nothing and getting full salaries without work. They must earn public money offering public service. It should be their duty. They should run camps for easy vaccination and food aid for the jobless hungry ones. Lockdown must not be seen as an easy decision for doing nothing to face the crisis of pandemic. Gun power is not brain power.
