28 April 2020, NIICE Commentary 4261
Dr. Mohammad Rezaul Karim and Dr. Mohammad Tarikul Islam
The world is witnessinga devastating attack fromthe COVID-19,with the death toll rapidly rising every day. Developed countries equipped with better healthcare facilities are severely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, while the developing and the densely populated countries like Bangladesh are on the brink of a massive threat. As there is no vaccine for the Coronavirus yet, maintaining WHO prescribed six-point protocols and keeping social distance, are the key methods to be protected from the virus. The Bangladesh Government has taken prompt measures to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic, and Bangladesh’s public policies are the key here. Broadly, a public policy is a set of principles in the form of acts, guidelines, procedures, circulars, orders and action plans prepared by the ministries and approved by the government in order to control the behaviour of the public. A total of 444 public policies have already been made by different ministries of the government in Bangladesh to regulate and control people’s behavior, distribute and redistribute resources to prevent COVID-19 mayhem. The key emphasis of a policy is the implementation and monitoring, in order to successfully prevent COVID-19. The 31-point directives of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina serve as the overall policy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The fight against COVID-19 is to be fought through three major processes, which are preparedness, prevention and protection.
Recent Regulations
Being the prime responsible ministry, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) of Bangladesh has circulated 41 orders (including 25 regulatory) relating to combating COVID-19. These orders entail guidelines on assigning responsibilities, discussing funding, food and accommodation for COVID-19 patients and frontline fighters, surveillance mechanisms, burial of corpses, standard operating procedures (SOP) for dead body handling of COVID-19 patients, rational use of PPEs, emergency replacement of doctors, etc. These policies cover quite a range of issues to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, the act titled ‘the Communicable Diseases Prevention, Control and Eradication Bill, 2018’ is a public policy cornerstone that bestows the responsibility to take any action to prevent COVID-19 upon the Department of Health. By this responsibility, the ministry announced the whole country as ‘risky’. The Ministry of Home and Defense utilised their armed forces departments to control people’s movement in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 at the community level. Lockdown, restriction on shopping necessary items, restriction on communication, staying home, etc. are the key strategies to prevent and stop the spreading of the virus. A high-powered team comprising of 64 secretaries and Senior Secretaries has been formed and assigned to monitor relief distribution activities in each of the 64 districts.
Distributive Policies
Because all economic activities have been kept shut, the industries are facing huge losses. The Bangladesh government declared a Taka 727.5-billion (later, it reached upto about 1000 billion) stimulus package to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, since all industries and service sectors have been stopped and management needs huge liquid money from the government to pay wages and salaries to employees. Readymade garments, agriculture, livestock, pharmaceuticals and small business entrepreneurs are among all these stimulus seekers. It seems the government is the last resort of hope for the community, as all garment industries could not pay salary to their workers because of shortage of money. Health professionals who are the frontline fighters against the Coronavirus, were also given special incentives to boost their morale. Special health insurance covering expenditure up to Taka 5 million would be given to COVID-19 frontline fighters, according to their ranks. Public employees working at the field can get a maximum Taka 1 million if infected, and Taka 5 million if anyone dies of Coronavirus. Bankers who are providing emergency services to make cash flow in the market have also been provided special incentives that equals to one-month salary in each month during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Redistributive Policies
A major challenge in combating COVID-19 remains with the movement of about 22 percent of the people who live under poverty line, as they need to earn on a daily basis and need to go out. Redistributive policies served as key strategy to distribute food to these vulnerable groups. Special care has been taken to distribute reliefs among ethnic minority groups across the country. Recently, 1200 packets of relief goods have been given to the Bihari community by the local representatives. Bangladesh Army used helicopter to carry and distribute necessary goods to ethnic minorities who live in remote areas of Chittagong Hill Tracts. Services rendered to the remote and vulnerable groups forces them to stay at home to prevent the COVID-19 spread. Distributing relief among 50 million poor people is also a means of combating COVID-19 as this relief forces them to stay at home. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief declares to continue providing food support to these 50 million, until June 2020.
Symbolic Policies: Nationalism and Religious Values
Cultural integration and learning to fight together are important symbolic values to combat the present crisis. Constitutionally, Islam is the state religion in Bangladesh, as the vast majority of the country comprises of Muslims. However, secular laws are upheld in the country. Considering the norms and principles of a majority section of the community, Bangladesh government moved slowly to impose restrictions on social gathering in Mosques, among other religious congregations. In mid-April 2020, the Ministry of Religious Affairs declared guidelines allowing a maximum of 5 persons to gather five times a day, and 10 people to gather five times a day for Friday prayers. Similar directions are also to be followed for Ramadan. This circular helps restricting coronavirus spread at community level.
Stakeholders and Implementation
All public departments and some private firms are directly and indirectly contributing to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Some government organisations such as the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and its attached bodies, and the Ministry of Public Administration prepare and circulate public policies while some others such as the Ministry of Home, Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry of Defense (including Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air force), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ministry of Food, local government bodies, all government offices at the rural level, and all hospitals and medical colleges are actively involved in effective implementation and monitoring. Media is playing a vital role in broadcasting government orders to be followed, health hygiene to be maintained, and staying home. Philanthropic organisations continue to contribute in assisting vulnerable groups with food and hygiene items.
Effective Implementation
Interestingly, spreading of this virus is quite restricted as it is about 5000 infected patients during the seventh week. The strong leadership of Bangladesh, which prepared guidelines, issued orders and forced communities to follow them for good, significantly helped in stopping large-scale transmission of the virus. The strong leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina is considered as the key factor for the present success, and proves her capability in leading the country in times of crisis. Timely directives and briefing using electronic media boosted up awareness of the general masses. This indicates the government’s capability to disseminate information, and helps the people place their trust in the government as the last resort of hope.
Way Forward
There is extension and expansion of lockdown in areas where anyone is found with COVID-19 infection. The infected are isolated or quarantined. Hence, widespread tests covering as many people (and thereby catching the maximum number of infected people) can be one of the solutions so that appropriate measures can be taken. The government is trying to ease the lockdown and allows industries, particularly the readymade garment sector to open, by maintaining appropriate measures. About 4 million workers who are supposed to commute to the capital or around for work might be a potential threat in spreading the COVID-19, and can delay the process of combating the pandemic. Strict measures must be undertaken by the industry management, although it would be almost impossible because of the structural problems of a working environment, and the densely-populated accommodations where the workers reside. Seemingly, the best solution is for the populace to strictly follow government’s orders, and rely on their food and funding aid at least till June, 2020.
