It is extremely disappointing that the authorities concerned are having a difficult time proceeding with the zonal lockdown plan, citing insufficient information and data as a reason for the delay in mapping out the zones.
It is true that completely locking down large areas such as Mirpur is not a viable nor sensible option, but in order to lock down specific areas, the authorities require lists telling them of the specific areas that need to be addressed -- lists that have not been compiled due to a lack of data.
It is frankly inexcusable that crucial pieces of information such as patient addresses are not recorded during a global pandemic, not to mention the general lack of data available on the populations of localities.
One of the most fundamental markers of a country’s progress is the amount of quality information and data it is able to acquire; the places that have been able to harness the power of data and information around the world have generally been the ones who have been most successful in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sadly, once again, Bangladesh shows how far behind it remains on so many fronts; during a global pandemic, it is of paramount importance to acquire reliable, detailed, and quality data and unfortunately, Bangladesh’s historically weak relationship with data gathering has reared its ugly head once again.
Once again, it appears we have been underprepared, rushing towards an initiative without a concrete plan of action and strategy on how to best implement it.
Now that the problem has been identified, it is up to the authorities to do the best they can. However, scrambling and rushing to get the information will most likely result in erroneous actions, and that is the last thing the country needs during these difficult times.
