ED: Respecting the rules of the lockdown

It is time to do our part

Today marks the first day of what is set to be the strictest lockdown yet, initially for a seven-day period.

Lockdowns have understandably been viewed with scepticism in many quarters, and there is no doubt that they have a profound impact on people’s livelihoods, particularly the most vulnerable in society -- those who work in the informal economy. It is they who suffer the most.

Yet, amidst the divided opinions and amidst the difficulties and complexities that a strict lockdown of this nature will undoubtedly pose, the fact of the matter is that Bangladesh is recording triple digit deaths daily, and our daily infection rate continues to be well over 20%.

At such a time, curbing these numbers -- both infection rates and, as a result, the number of deaths -- is the number one priority for the government, as it would be for any nation, anywhere in the world.