Soon after Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8, life in general was turned upside down with the government announcing ‘general holiday’ to curb the transmission of coronavirus.
The government shut down educational institutions, all non-essential services and urged people to stay indoors. The shutdown was extended till May 5 after the health authorities declared the whole country ‘vulnerable to infection’ and imposed heavy restriction on movement.
But the situation did not improve.
All economic activities came to a grinding halt, forcing millions of low-income people and daily wage earners out of their jobs. On the other hand, the people showed a complete lack of responsibility and continued to ignore repeated warnings to stay indoors and maintain social distancing.
Although the government moved swiftly and announced stimulus packages to offset the impact of coronavirus on the economy, many people still complained of not benefiting from various schemes and protested in some places.
Hunger forced many people to come out on the streets in the hope of earning a few bucks to feed their families.
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise – 8,231 confirmed cases and 170 deaths until Friday morning – the government is likely to extend the shutdown further. ♦
