The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has spread from country to country. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a strict warning that the spread might be faster for densely populated South Asian countries. They think South Asia would become the ‘hotspot’ after China and Europe. A man has died of coronavirus already, which is very concerning. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) confirmed the death on Tuesday.
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said shutdown will be enforced wherever it’s necessary, but it seems that the government could not take preparations required to contain the outbreak. Awareness over the issue could not be raised among the people either.
The virus first hit China and within two months it spread to almost all the areas of the world. Actually, the novel virus has pushed the earth to a grave danger as no vaccine has yet been discovered. This crisis has national aspects as well as regional and global ones too. Though it’s not possible for a single country to tackle the regional or global situation, it must take required initiatives to tackle its own situation.
So far, 14 people have been infected and one died in the country. From the beginning, the government has been claiming that it had all the necessary preparations. It was said that those who were infected either had come from abroad or came into contact with a returnee. No government assurance or statistics can calm us. Several hundred thousand people had returned to from abroad in the last few months. Many foreigners too had come here on various occasions. The method to detect the infection is to test a suspected patient, but this was not done properly. The government sticks to detect the virus through only one centre for a country of 17 million people.
We are lagging behind in consideration of raising social awareness. The only way to contain the virus is to limit social communication as much as possible. Restriction has been imposed on going out of home without emergency in many countries. However, the people of our country are moving as usual. Demand to close educational institutions was raised on the wake of the outbreak. The government took several weeks to take that decision. The HSC exams are scheduled to be held from 1 April. Millions of examinees as well as their guardians are anxious over this.
In such a backdrop, the election commission seems desperate to hold 21 March by-elections at three constituencies and the Chattogram city polls on 29 March. When the experts including WHO are recommending social distance, the people, candidates and party men are being pushed to a grave danger. Are people in a situation to cast votes? Already the court has issued a writ over the elections.
Source: Prothom Alo
