Corona has ushered in an era of new realities. Not only do we not know what is going on , we don’t know what is going on to manage it. This has become most obvious in case of the lockdown management policy of the GOB. Many have expressed bewilderment at some decisions and their execution. Lockdown decisions became a joke and all were at the expense of the authorities. For a government that prides itself as being a “able to do” type construct, it’s rather odd. Is it possible that when it comes to structured and organized efficiency, it has some length to go ?
From the experience since Corona came calling, we know that the capacity to exert official directives are low in the governance machinery. It’s one thing to move files, organize tenders and bidding and so forth. But it’s an entirely different matter to organize, supervise and manage lockdowns. Lockdowns involve public behavior, files require amla behavior.
File movements are a very positive activity and mean benefits for many. They bring perks of exercising power and include monetary gains as well. Files are the bloodstream of the bureaucracy and their source of life and livelihood.
On the other hand, lockdowns are exactly the opposite to file movements as they are totally anti-livelihood. Their focus is entirely lifesaving and that means staying indoors which means economically devastating so the public is against it. It’s the most disincentive generating possible. And the policy and implementation capacity has done little to protect the economy.
The requirement would have been a policy that was more based on analysis and like India not convenience. India was politically opportunistic and Bangladesh has simply not exerted. The results are clear as Delta wreaks unprecedented havoc.
Right now we just probably went through a lockdown but unless we were told this was happening, we may not have noticed. It was not a strategically implemented lockdown and after a while people began to ignore it.
Other decisions simply make little sense and one is left puzzled as to what they are expected to result in. In previous lockdowns, buses were allowed to ply provided they were half full. Of course more money was charged per seat but as events showed these buses all ran full while charging double. The result was a failure of the purpose.
This time the authorities have said that half of the buses are going to run but they can run carrying full passengers. How is the government going to ensure that only half are running? Who will do the counting? For a sector that is famous for ignoring government, private and every other kind of regulation, how will this restriction be implemented? And how can full buses not become virus spreading machines?
We have no idea what these regulations mean except that a bizarre set of rules are being issued which may increase the already overwhelming threat once more.
