Why Bangladesh Needs More Political Will to Fight Coronavirus

Will PM Sheikh Hasina take more stringent steps before Bangladesh’s coronavirus crisis becomes unamanageable?

Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Shruti Mathur / The Quint)

Like the other South Asian nations, India’s neighbour Bangladesh is also struggling to fight coronavirus. But their response is hindered by the immense mismanagement – right from the top authority to the rural pro-government volunteers.

As per the latest update by the health services authorities, on 13 April, a total of 803 positive cases were recorded in Bangladesh, with 39 COVID-related deaths, while the total number of tests conducted stands at 11,223. In the last 24 hours, Bangladesh has done only 1,570 tests; 182 were COVID positive, and five have died.

Bangladeshis Not Following Govt Guidelines Against COVID

The country has only 17 labs which are capable of diagnosing coronavirus, but most of these labs are failing to collect samples from all people with coronavirus symptoms. Also, most of the healthcare workers are not skilled enough to collect samples and conduct tests in the labs.

The authorities seem to be unable to make people understand the importance of social distancing and staying at home during this pandemic.

Bangladesh deployed the army days ago to help the local administration to ensure people practice social distancing. But they failed to do so; people are still moving around, gathering at tea stalls in scores, and not following the instructions of the government health services to stop the spread of coronavirus. The health authorities warned that the carelessness of the people might lead Bangladesh to an unimaginable human catastrophe.

No Proper Enforcement of Lockdown, Mass Exodus of Factory Workers

The Bangladesh government had announced a general holiday (it was not cited officially as a lockdown or shutdown then) from 26 March to 4 April, so that people would stay home. But public transport service was not included in this initiative. So right after the announcement, hundreds of thousands of people, who work in garment factories, left the capital city Dhaka for their native villages, most of which are situated a hundred miles away from the capital territory.

This exodus allowed Bangladesh to suffer more obstacles in the fight against coronavirus.

Mismanagement of a Crisis

On 4 April morning, the garment factory owners’ union, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, called the workers back to join the factories from 5 April, with public transport facing a ban.

This move forced the workers to put their lives in high-risk as they ran for Dhaka from their villages by foot mostly, while some took autorickshaws.

Early evening the same day, the government extended the “holiday” to 14 April, while the garment workers had already reached Dhaka. They came in groups avoiding the instruction of social distancing, which caused them to become more vulnerable to the virus. Over a hundred garment factories were operational on 6 April, at the export processing zone area in Dhaka’s Savar and Ashulia region.

Quarantine Period Not Declared Early Enough

During the first 20 days of March, more than 4 lakh migrant workers returned home from many corners of the world. Bangladesh was late to impose mandatory 14-day quarantine period upon those returning from abroad. This jeopardised Bangladesh’s public health even more.

The government ordered the police to trace the home-coming workers and force them to stay at home.

But it was a huge task for the police to trace more than 4 lakh people, which increased to more than 7 lakhs at the end of March, and make them stay at home.

No Social Distancing Practiced During Prayer At Mosques

Until 6 April, continual prayers at mosques, as usual, remained an unending concern for the country and administration. Along with praying five times a day, Bangladeshi Muslims were attending mosque prayer services every Friday in huge numbers, despite the several ‘requests’ from the government and religious groups.

The government, however, never issued strict guidelines to prevent the people from praying in groups at mosques.

They might have feared outrage from the people.

However, on 6 April, the Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a clear instruction to people from different religions to practice religious activities at home.

Crisis Management Committee’s Head ‘Clueless’

The Bangladesh government formed a national committee to tackle the coronavirus crisis, with the health minister, Zahid Maleque, being the chairman of the committee.

But in a media interaction on 6 April at the health ministry, Zahid Maleque said that he had no idea about anything other than the ongoing health initiatives. He said: “Yes, I am the chairman of the national committee formed to tackle the coronavirus. But I don’t know why the mosques were open until today, I don’t know why a hundred garment factories are still operational.”

“I have to face the local media every day, and journalists ask me questions, but I am unable to answer because I don’t know what is going on. Not just local media, I am getting calls from foreign media as well. They also ask me many things but I have no answer at all. So I asked the secretary of the health ministry to convey the decision of the national committee to me so that I have some answers,” Zahid Maleque added, showing his helplessness in the current situation.

No Proper Distribution of Relief Material & Aid

Due to the lockdown in most parts of the country, many poor day labourers, roadside tea stall owners and wage earners face the threat of hunger and poverty. The government opened a food distribution aid for them, but the activists of the ruling party left the government embarrassed, stealing relief goods. During the last 10 days, more than 200 instances of thievery have been reported in the local media.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned several times against embezzlement of relief material, but it seems like the thieves are hell-bent on not paying heed. This has resulted in an unprecedented situation in Jamalpur district, where people in need are reported to have snatched relief material from government distributors.

(Saif Hasnat is a Bangladeshi journalist at UNB. He tweets at @saifhasnat. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)