Merely two months ago, people were as busy as bee, having no respite from work. Offices struggled with piles of files to be signed and workloads to be done. Roads along with the footpaths were overcrowded. Vehicles used to creep bumper to bumper on city roads. Countless drivers made city dwellers’ live unbearable by honking horns mindlessly.
This was the signature feature of cities like Dhaka. But this familiar look just changed with the detection of coronavirus. Everything changed overnight not only physically but also mentally. From personal life to the state affairs, everything took change. Offline office works are being done online, either through videoconference, zoom cloud meeting, or Facebook messenger. Nobody now bumps into others as they keep personal and social distances.
To keep the body free from virus, dresses have been tailored to make it coronavirus-unfriendly. People now muffle their mouths in the sleeves when sneezing, wash their hands every after few hours, avoid customary handshake when greeting or parting. Food habits also changed for the better and even journalism tends to be desk job in a cozy office building, reeling in shock of coronavirus.
On March 8, first coronavirus patient was detected in Bangladesh. The graph of coronavirus victims went up slowly but now it gathers pace. To contain the coronavirus crisis, the government imposed a countrywide lockdown on March 26. As it impacted the economy heavily within two months, so the government decides to relax the lockdown gradually. The aim is to keep the economy afloat.
Two months, from March 8 to May 8, have seen a lot of alterations in personal and state levels. Lifestyles are not the same, so are the modes and processes of government works.
Ever familiar political camps are going without programmes on the streets. Political activities are bracketed within relief works. Awami League and BNP are holding online press conferences on limited scale. Televisions are airing stock footages. Indoor political meetings have taken the shape of teleconferences.
Vibrant Secretariat reopened to function on limited scale after one month of closure. Most of the operations are done online. E-filing takes place replacing the traditional file works. Web conference is the current mode of communications between top brass and field officials. Prime Minister herself is communicating with her cabinet colleagues through videoconferences. Zoom app is the current platform where ministry higher-ups are assigning jobs to lower-tier officials.
Experts wake up to the fact that the whole world will be changed in post-pandemic situation. It shook up the thought process. Covid-19 has also exposed the inherent faults of the state and the existing systems in place. People of the world stand facing new realization. That’s why nothing will be the same as before in the post-pandemic world and there is no doubt about this.
According to an article, written basing on the opinions of 30 scholars, published by US media Politico Magazine, said there must be change, be it for the better or worse. The crisis will bring unthinkable change to the social structure.
Former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Emajuddin Ahmed told Amader Somoy that if coronavirus frenzy stopped, it could be the beginning of a revolutionary change, as World War II changed the world's politics, economy, and even culture after 1945.
He said there is no doubt that at the end of the pandemic situation, new world with the spirit of self-awareness would emerge from the old one as a result of the self-defense attitude. The existing reality bodes well that the situation has already become very clear for change.
Coronavirus infections have turned the food habits of the people into a healthy one. People in Bangladesh started eating a lot of herbs along with normal food to keep themselves fit to fight against the virus. Since the virus starts with colds and coughs and there is no specific drug to prevent it. So people are relying on herbal medicine and healthy diets. Awareness of healthy foods has also increased to meet the demand for vitamins. People are now seen wearing Personal Protective Equipment to prevent the virus. People wear masks on the streets and in the markets. Conscious people are often disinfecting their hands with sanitizers. The street corners have been lined with soap and water for washing hands. Offline shopping habits are replaced with online buying. As it becomes difficult to maintain physical distance in the market crowd, so food is also being ordered online. Restrictions on banking activities have brought the economy to a standstill. Under the circumstances, ministers have decided to hold meeting online.
Members of law enforcing agencies, who usually face of various criticisms, are doing commendable work on the ground. They are risking their lives to save lives and in the process of doing so six lawmen have died and over 12 hundred have been infected with Covid-19. They are in the frontline, doing all sorts of jobs — from funerals to relief works.
Doctors, who were initially reluctant to leave the hospital due to lack of adequate equipment, are now working to save their lives, risking their lives too. Two doctors have already died of the deadly virus. More than a thousand health workers, including doctors, nurses have been affected. Despite shortage of protective gears they are working day and night to save lives of coronavirus patients. The work from home has now become familiar to journalists whose professions used to be mostly outdoors. Even then they are risking their lives to collect news at the field level. Two journalists have so far died of coronavirus and over one hundred affected.
The mosques look deserted with a small number of people praying Waqt, Tarabi and Jumu'ah even in this Ramadan, of course, maintaining social distance. The temple and pagodas are uninhabited. Recreation resorts have received severe blows from virus infection.
The footprint of the disaster on educational activities is also noticeable. From primary schools to universities are using videoconferences for conducting classes. If the coronavirus situation does not improve, educational institutions may have to remain closed until September. In that case, educational activities should be run in schools, colleges and universities with the help of different gadgets and apps.
Last year Pohela Baishakh was celebrated without any outdoor gatherings. Social media became the only platform for socialisation and celebration will be of similar type during Eid-ul-Fitr if the crisis persists.
However, the garment factories have started working with limited manpower at risk to keep the economy afloat. Commercial activities are being conducted using various apps. Meetings are being held online through Zoom cloud meeting, Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber or other apps. But the bane of lockdown turned into boon as the air pollution in this dusty city has decreased significantly. Even though our environment is not healthy yet, people can breathe fresh air.
E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (ICAB) General Secretary Abdul Waheed Tamal said, “The online market has been hit hard by coronavirus pandemic and total online shopping has dropped by 80 percent. But orders for daily necessities including groceries and medicines from digital customers have increased.
Foodpanda Bangladesh CEO Ambarin Reza said, “The number of online food orders has increased. Considering the spiked demand, we have introduced grocery delivery under the banner of ‘Pandamart’ which will cater to the customers’ demand for groceries and medicines.”
The coronavirus also impacted the special session of the Jatiya Sangsad, which was adjourned on March 22, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu. In the afternoon of April 18, the shortest session in the history of Bangladesh was held for constitutional obligation.
During the one-hour parliamentary session, about 70 MPs took part, keeping social distance in the parliament. In addition, for the first time, the opportunity to collect news directly from the media was cancelled.
The mode of operation of the Election Commission was also changed as it was closed for over one month with the commission starting to issue NID card online. The virus didn’t leave media unhurt. A number of dailies including Amader Somoy have allowed their journalists to work from home. Besides, the private televisions have made it mandatory for the employees to work in groups consisting of 3, 8, 10 and 14 depending on the organization. Most of the staffers of online news portals are collecting and serving information from home.
Although the activities of commercial banks are downsized, various meetings including board meetings are held virtually using technology. Selective works are being done in some branches of Bangladesh Bank. But meetings and decisions are coming using technology.
Dhaka University Professor of Psychology Md. Kamal Uddin told Amader Somoy that many changes have taken place during this coronavirus pandemic. “This change will be temporary because it is not instructive. Even if people learn something from disaster, most of them will forget. This change won’t be effective for the elderly people particularly” he added.
“We have a lot of good things to learn from the disaster and one of them is cleanliness,” he said adding that the practice of staying neat and clean will come to use in future.
/wi/
