Bangladesh has been struggling to combat Covid-19 with limited resources and poor health infrastructure since 2020. The government imposed lockdowns and restrictions but they were not sustainable and proved ineffective. While necessary to curb the virus, prolonged lockdowns could severely damage Bangladesh's economy due to its impacts on daily wage earners and lack of a strong social safety net as seen in Western countries. Alternative approaches are needed that protect public health while allowing economic activity to continue to prevent widespread suffering.

1. Life amid the Covid-induced curbs
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/features-analysis/life-amid-the-covid-induced-curbs-
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M S Siddiqui | May 01, 2021 00:00:00
Bangladesh has been combating the Covid-19 pandemic with limited
financial resources and poor health infrastructure since March, 2020. The
government has imposed several measures to curb the progression of the
outbreak but those did not prove sustainable in the long run. However, the
low infection rate is a matter of research despite 'failure' of lockdown.
However, as a middle-income country, in the long run Bangladesh does
not afford to keep the prolonged lockdown.
Last year, we saw the detrimental impacts of a nationwide lockdown in the
wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, especially on low-income and subsistence
workers and workers who were dependent on daily wages. Finally, the
government has taken a bold decision to reopen the economic sectors
despite opposition from different quarters.
The country has again been experiencing the sudden surge in Covid-19
cases since early March 2021. Healthcare officials and experts blame the
surge in Covid-19 cases on people's reluctance to follow health safety
guidelines. The government has imposed restrictions. But these cannot
last forever without causing any damage to the national economy and
compromising on people's resilience.
The health experts had different opinions about the lockdown enforced
during the initial outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020. The lockdowns
had proved completely ineffective in the country. Even, the zonal
lockdown at East Raza Bazar and Wari last year left us with bitter

2. experiences. "Imposing a lockdown is a foreign practice. We would never
be able to implement it due to the sufferings of our own people," an expert
said. "Rather the country can implement a local style of lockdown."
Dr Nazrul Islam, a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee,
said the imposition of restrictions on the movement of people still
remained a good idea considering the recent surge in cases. It would help
reduce traffic after evening and proper monitoring could ensure wearing of
masks by everyone. "For the time being, following the health rules at
offices and homes is a must. Besides, we need to ensure institutional
quarantine and isolation on a priority basis, as our experiences say that
isolation at home is not possible."
The government took a hasty decision to halve the passenger capacity of
public transport and hike bus fares by 60 per cent as part of the set of
restrictions. No doubt during these difficult times the sufferings of ordinary
people have mounted.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association
(BGMEA) said that export orders had fallen by 30-40 per cent due to the
second wave of the pandemic in the West and buyers were creating
pressure to promptly deliver the existing orders. Factories were facing
order cancellations, suspension of spring/summer shipments, and reduced
orders for autumn/winter season. They normally start working on
autumn/winter orders from April onwards. The BGMEA continued to keep
the factories open maintaining the health safety measures. Drawing
experiences from the first Covid wave last year they hope to keep the
Covid-19 infection rate below 0.03 per cent among RMG workers.
The James P. Grant School of Public Health has undertook an study to try
and understand the needs of the population during Covid-19 on the poor,
microbusiness owners, labourers, transport workers, informal sector
employees and many other groups who depend on daily wages/earnings
and have no social safety net. Although Bangladesh has achieved a lot
over the recent decades, with improved availability of food due to
increased production, 40?million people-one quarter of the population-
remain food-insecure, and 11?million suffer from acute hunger.
BRAC's rapid perception survey on Covid-19 conducted between 31 March
and 5 April 2020, for instance, found that 18 per cent and 10 per cent of
urban and rural respondents, respectively, had no food stored at home,
while 37 per cent and 21 per cent respectively had only 1-3 days' food
reserve. This picture will worsen in the wake of the fallouts from the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The poor and vulnerable already live on the edge. The added stress of the
pandemic combined with prolonged shutdowns will amplify further their
despair and hopelessness. In the context of Covid-19, the lockdown model
is being imported from western or developed economies with stronger
economic bases and better social safety nets for those in need. Those

3. countries supported all small businesses and individuals with financial
support for the period of lockdown. Bangladesh should find an alternate
way of fighting coronavirus and keep the wheels of the economy in motion.
While health is a very real concern for Bangladesh to sustain amid the
Covid-induced restrictions, all of us should focus all of the country's
resources on ensuring that no one goes without food.
M S Siddiqui is a Legal Economist.
mssiddiqui2035@gmail.com