ED: Listen to the science

With the grim and unfortunate reality of rising cases and deaths in Bangladesh, the government had no choice but to take the decision of imposing nationwide lockdowns in an attempt to curb its spread.

Yet, lockdowns are meaningless if not properly implemented, and in fact, inefficiently implemented lockdowns often do more harm than good due to the adverse economic impact that inevitably arises as a result of lockdowns.

To that end, it is disheartening to see that health experts think that this current version of the lockdown is unlikely to yield any positive result, calling it “unscientific and half-hearted.”

There is merit to their criticism, as there continue to be widespread movement of people, in addition to factories, mills, and industries continuing to operate, offices not operating on a work from home basis, and, perhaps most conspicuously, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair allowed to proceed.

The question is not the lockdown -- the authorities concerned made the right decision given the alarming rise in numbers but, as has often been the bane for Bangladesh, we once again fail to commit to a plan and implement effectively. Moreover, it appears that once again, decisions were made in haste, without proper consultation with health experts.

This is not a matter of politics or preferences. This is a global pandemic and a health crisis, and we simply cannot afford a half-hearted attempt at this lockdown, with it threatening to do more harm than good.

This is the time to listen to the experts, take their advice seriously, and leave no stone unturned to ensure that this advice is being followed through properly. It is the only way we can ensure that lives will be saved