ED: A day to turn over a new leaf

Today is Pohela Boishakh, signaling the new year in the Bengali calendar. Today is also the first day of the government’s hard lockdown in the wake of the alarming rise in Covid-19 infections and deaths in the country.

It is a difficult situation to accept -- Pohela Boishakh is one of the most joyful days in our country, full of crowds, colours, laughter, and cultural events and fairs. This is not the Pohela Boishakh anyone wanted.

Yet, while we cannot partake in the celebrations that are usually synonymous with this day, it is the spirit of Pohela Boishakh that remains relevant, now more than ever, and it is this spirit that all of us must embody as we look towards ending the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pohela Boishakh signifies change, of turning a new leaf, and looking to get better. For Bangladeshis, this change must be responsible behaviour and strictly adhering to the directives the government has set out, while simultaneously remembering all the safety measures to be taken to prevent Covid-19, that remain as relevant today.

There is good reason to believe that Bangladesh would not be in the dire situation it is now were it not for the flouting of rules displayed by the public, along with the complacency displayed by the authorities concerned in keeping the spread of the coronavirus in check.

Yet, as we usher in the Bangla New Year, we cannot be looking back at what could have been and instead, look forward to what we can do. Together, exercising responsible, social behaviour, we still have a chance of turning this situation around.

Shubho Noboborsho to all our readers!