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Normalcy returning


Published : 08 Aug 2020 09:46 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 07:00 AM

The government has taken the decision to resume all the commercial activities in the country in phases.

The decision has been taken as part of the move to safeguard the lives and livelihoods during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Slowly but surely, people have started doing their daily activities as they were used to do before. The government is also encouraging people to come out and do their regular activities maintaining hygiene rules and social distancing. 

Besides steps have been taken to conduct a massive mass media campaign to reduce the lethal virus panic among the people as the government believes such campaigns can produce positive changes or prevent negative changes in health-related behaviors of people across the country.

In a bid to boost the government activities, all government officials have been directed to ensure physical attendance at their respective offices from Sunday. 

On the other hand, the government has directed its district administration to reopen their respective tourist spots and other industrial areas applying the highest alert against the pandemic coronavirus, hygiene rules, and maintaining social distancing. 

The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting of the government recently. As the coronavirus infection is now under control, the government is in favour of resuming activities in all sectors in phases. At the same time, local administration was also directed to supervise public transport, residential hotels, motels, and restaurants for compliance of hygiene rules.

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told journalists, “Maintaining the health safety guidelines, the government officials from now on have to work just as they did before”. 

“As the whole world is moving forward despite the growing concern over coronavirus, we also have to clear the backlog, which was created due to the stagnated situation created by the virus to speed up the economy”, he added.  

In the meantime, sea beaches, tourist spots, and hotels-motels in Cox’s Bazar municipality area from August 17 on a limited scale will reopen while some other attractive tourist spots in Chattogram, Kuakata, and Cox’s Bazar have already opened. 

Hygiene rules have to be followed rigorously in public transport as it is doing now. All domestic routes have already started operating. Flights operation to Cox's Bazar, which were closed for nearly four months has resumed on July 29. At the same time, the train schedule will also be increased gradually. 

South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) executive director Dr. Selim Raihan told Bangladesh Post that, “Undoubtedly it’s government’s bold decision. I think proper planning can return positive feedback. Earlier, due to lack of proper planning and coordination, we failed to implement many things”.

“At the same time, the government officials who are responsible to supervise government initiatives must have to act strictly so that the main goal of the government to safeguard the lives and livelihood can be achieved”, he added.

The government has also plan to reopen all educational institutions from September if the situation improves, while factories and offices involved in the production and services including ports, bus stands, hospitals, water, electricity, gas, and others can be kept open round the clock. 

In order to keep the production activities normal, Chittagong seaport, Mongla seaport, various river ports and land ports can be kept open seven days a week as required.