Covid-19: Are we going to survive this pandemic?

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We are into the 6th week of a quite severe lock-down. Streets largely deserted and police everywhere to stop and question anyone they do not recognize. Our only big supermarket has been closed for a month. I had to go to the Bikash Shop this afternoon and on our way back discovered that Some of the tea shops had reopened. Super shops are doing a temperature reading and squirted sanitizing lotion on our hands. In our Bazar, Speakers kept repeating in English and Bengali to keep 3 meters away from any other people in the store and to take only 20 minutes to shop. I think it is a well-planned reopening.

On the way back I carried two very heavy bags of food supplies directly home and I detoured to the Sasto bazaar and bought a whole Chicken. Generally, we only shop after 6 pm and the only stores open are meat and vegetable stores. 90% of people on the street are wearing masks and everyone keeps their distance. The shopkeepers wear masks and rubber gloves, have roped off the front of their stores, and bring what you request to you.

So far there has not been even one confirmed death from the corona-virus in my village but I am sure they are happening in small villages across Bangladesh where Bangladeshi workers have recently returned home from countries where the pandemic is already serious. Over 2 million people have returned to their villages as they are out of work and out of money. and I expect this lock-down will continue for several more weeks with a very gradual re-opening of the economy.

I fear that the pandemic in Bangladesh is going to take a terrible many, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of lives. cultural values, dense population, lack of government leadership, limited health facilities and medical staff, and failure to use mass media to educate the people will all play a part in a tragedy that will be under-reported.

Garments workers are getting back to their work. Auto Rickshaws are always available on the road. Rail will restart within this week. The infection rate is very high but hardly officials are paying any heed to it. This decision will have a great impact on us.

What will happen to us? I Don’t know. Still surviving myself and my family. But the thing is every middle-class family has some issues that they can’t take any help from the government or ask for it. And for the poor, I don’t think they will survive if this situation continues for a couple of months.

And of course, above all those things, I am posting great music, hilarious political cartoons, beautiful art, and dance, etc. to keep our spirits up!