The implementation of the ongoing lockdown over the last three weeks has brought the transmission of the second wave of Corona in Bangladesh under control. The infection rate has reduced significantly compared to the past, and the death rate has also decreased. However, so far, the number of deaths per day is above 50, which is not desirable. We do not want a human being to die because of Coronavirus contamination. Due to the long duration of the lockdown, the government has decided to relax the lockdown in some cases because of livelihood demands. One of these is the opening of shops on the condition of complying with the Corona Safety Rules.
We all know that Eid, the biggest religious festival of the majority of the people of Bangladesh, will be held on the 13th or 14th of May. Eid-centric shopping has become part of the culture of Bangladesh. As the lockdown has eased slightly, people across all walks of life have started moving towards the market for Eid shopping. However, we have to keep in mind that if we do not follow the Corona safety rules properly while marketing, then the third wave of Corona will hit Bangladesh very soon.
Meanwhile, we have noticed a sharp increase in the number of people walking out of the house and showing reluctance to comply with Corona safety rules, such as last January and February. In the name of Eid shopping, many people are coming out of their houses to spend time with their friends. Most importantly, most people are reluctant to comply with government-imposed Corona safety rules (such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently, avoiding crowded places, or ensuring social distance). We have forgotten that the Corona situation in Bangladesh took a terrible turn one and a half months ago because of the reckless behavior of the citizens.
We know that a large part of the population is involved in the business and market economy. The livelihood of these people depends on doing business in markets and shopping malls. As a result, the government has decided to open shops considering the livelihoods of those involved in the business. During the lockdown, all shop owners committed that they would fully comply with the Corona safety rules in their shops. However, in reality, what is being seen is extremely disappointing.
With the exception of some famous shopping malls or markets, most of the markets in the country do not tend to follow the Corona safety rules. The government has repeatedly said that law enforcement agencies and the administration will monitor the matter. However, the reality is that it is impossible for law enforcement agencies and the administration to ensure compliance of citizens with COVID-19 protocol from urban to rural areas of Bangladesh if they do not behave carefully in their respective position. As a result, it is very difficult to force people to abide by the rules if they do not follow them. If the law enforcement agencies apply force, a class of civil society and human rights activists in the country will start criticizing them for forcing the public to abide by the safety rules at the roadside.
Buyers and the shop or market owners' association have a responsibility to ensure compliance with safety rules. However, the reality is that shoppers, like shop owners, are reluctant to follow safety rules. In many cases, it is seen that parents are walking around in different shops without wearing masks with small children. As a result, she/he not only put him/her at risk of infection but also put his/her children and others in the family at risk of infection. These people do not understand that it will not be confined to their family if they are infected with Coronavirus. Rather the contamination will spread among others in society. If people do not spontaneously abide by the Corona Safety Rules, we should not be complacent even if the Corona infection rate decreases.
If a family member or the main earner of a family dies of Coronavirus infection, the family members could only understand how horrible death could be. However, sadly, we have not learned anything from the cry of the relatives of the family members. Moreover, we are behaving recklessly because we are not learning. They are not helping the government, having abided by the safety rules. Rather, they have a mentality of blaming the government for everything. If we look at the Corona situation in India, we can see that the Corona situation has gone out of control in a very short period due to some relaxed decisions of the government. Hospitals in several provinces, including Mumbai and Delhi, have no ordinary beds or ICU beds, and there is an acute crisis of oxygen supply. Many patients have already died due to a shortage of oxygen which we have witnessed through various media. So, we should learn from India's experience and understand what can happen if the Corona situation worsens again.
We need to remember that human life is more worthy than everything. A variety of religious ceremonies come into our lives every year, and we celebrate them. This year, like the previous years, a big event is coming up that we must celebrate. However, the process of celebration has to be a little different. We should not go around the market recklessly. Spending time with family members at home is much more important than making the situation worse. In this situation, I would like to appeal to everyone to abide by the Corona safety rules and help reduce the rate of Corona infection. If we cannot control our movement in the market in a short time, the situation can get worse again.
Another thing that is very important here is that we have to keep in mind that the government of any country cannot deal with pandemic like Corona alone. Everyone's cooperation is required to overcome this pandemic. On the one hand, we can control the infection by following the Corona safety rules, and on the other hand, we can reduce the miseries of the poor by helping them from our respective position. We can save ourselves from the Corona pandemic if we fight collectively. We have to remember that there is no fixed time limit about the end of this pandemic as no one has scientifically claimed when we will get out of this situation. None of the vaccines that have been discovered to protect against Corona can provide complete protection. Moreover, the virus is getting stronger, changing its strain frequently. Considering the importance of the corona pandemic as a whole, we should all avoid behaving recklessly and work together to win the war against Coronavirus. Only then we can expect a better future ahead.
The writer is a Professor of Public Administration at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.