Much like we saw during the Covid-19 pandemic, not every profession is brought to a halt when there is a state of emergency in a nation.
To that end, while there may have been a general holiday in place over the past three days, including today, not everybody has had the luxury to be safe at home during these most trying of times.
It is at times like these, where the nation has also been compelled to face a complete internet blackout amidst the turmoil and violence that has raged, that we must acknowledge and respect those among us who, risking their personal safety, take no days off and work to ensure that the rest of the country had the essentials required for survival.
From those at grocery stores and kitchen markets to the employees at hospitals and clinics, from journalists and reporters bringing news to the masses without internet connection over print and radio and television, to the rickshaw pullers who have needed to pedal away amidst the chaos, it is these brave men and women who remind us of the resilience within our people.
And while we do not condone the heavy-handed approach taken by many members of our law enforcement, those within their ranks who have answered the call of duty also deserve our appreciation. For many of these individuals, all they are doing is following orders, and also risking their personal safety in order to carry them out.
Finally, we need to appreciate the role paid by our armed forces whose deployment ahs finally bought safety and security back to our streets.
We hope that the authorities concerned are paying attention to these workers who have risked their personal safety over these days and have done what must be done to bring back order and normalcy to our lives.
We owe them all a debt of gratitude.
This editorial piece was first published in the print edition of Dhaka Tribune on July 22, 2024.
