State of Governance in Bangladesh. Managing COVID-19 in Bangladesh: Reality and considerations for better progress [brief survey]. This research brief summarizes key findings and recommendations from The State of Governance in Bangladesh Governing COVID-19 and Bangladesh: Realities and Reflections to Build Forward Better. The full report with a complete list of references is available at bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publications/state-of-governance-in-bangladesh managing-the-covid-19-pandemic/.
State of Governance in Bangladesh. Managing COVID-19 in Bangladesh: Realities and Considerations for Future Improvement The report documents and analyzes responses from the first year of the pandemic to inform current responses and prepare for such shocks in the future. COVID-19 has been an unprecedented stress test for health, social, economic and political systems worldwide.i State of Governance in Bangladesh 2020–. COVID-19 is a global shock (see Figure 1), but its impact has been particularly strong in countries such as Bangladesh.
COVID-19 continues to spread in Bangladesh in July 2021 (see Figure 2), and The State of Governance in Bangladesh 2020–2021 report analyzes a rapidly changing scenario. A survey conducted in February 2021 on citizens' perceptions of COVID-19 management found that trust in the. Citizens were more divided on specific policies and critical of the government's COVID-19 messaging, provision of tests, lockdown management and relief measures.
Bangladesh therefore lacked both the policy framework and the resource capacity to successfully respond to major health emergencies such as COVID-19. Raja Mia, Mrs Beauty and their seven-year-old son Bishal at their home in Dhaka during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of the government's stimulus package – to mitigate the economic stress of COVID-19 and provide relief to affected communities – reveals its strong bias towards growth orientation and relative neglect of the protection of vulnerable groups.
A closer look at the ready-to-wear industry: uncertainty, unemployment and vulnerability due to COVID-19. Business owners were able to effectively mobilize the country to secure government support and resources during the COVID-19 KEY MESSAGES. The government has also not been entirely successful in ensuring health and safety under the health guidelines for COVID-19 or in stopping layoffs and downsizing.
Initially, there were fears that people living in low-income urban areas were more vulnerable to COVID-19 due to the high population density. It had initially been argued that the COVID-19 crisis was likely to be disproportionately harmful to residents of low-income urban areas where. A systematic COVID-19 test in Korail – the largest informal settlement in Bangladesh – found a lower infection rate than elsewhere in the city.viii.
While the epidemiologic puzzle of the low incidence of COVID-19 in low-income urban communities remains unresolved, ethnographic research in Korail reveals how, in the context of state indifference, residents themselves initiated several strong medical and non-medical measures to . handle the pandemic.
Build on Bangladesh’s Strengths
The State of Governance in Bangladesh 2020-2021 report recommends that the government build on Bangladesh's strengths by making the most of the country's strong disaster response and social protection capabilities, as well as its enduring tradition of state-society partnerships and citizen engagement. The government must also practice 21st century statesmanship to develop the open and inclusive policy-making process necessary to build "anti-fragile" institutions. The government should use a learning approach to assess why and how it has succeeded in managing natural disasters and the food crisis, and use this learning to prepare for future crises.
The government must be able to trust that the social security system will ensure that people do not fall into poverty when they are confronted with shocks to their livelihoods. Social protection can protect against poverty and hunger, but also against losses in other areas of human development and well-being, such as ensuring children's education and citizens' access to health care. However, apart from inadequate coverage, both in terms of population groups and the amount of support, the social security system in Bangladesh faces a number of problems, including the widespread perception of corruption due to the perceived politicization of the selection and distribution mechanisms of beneficiaries.
In addition, data management was a major problem in the system that prevented the government from creating a correct beneficiary list during the pandemic. A stronger vision of social protection should also include unemployment insurance/benefits for both formal and informal sectors, as part of the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government experimented with a range of alternative social protection models; now is the time to identify strategies to scale up with full accountability.
The government has a history of successful collaborations and partnerships with such non-state actors to deliver a range of public goods and engage citizens in nation building and crisis management. During the pandemic, non-state actors and citizens at local levels across the country worked with government to facilitate and provide assistance, combat disinformation, and support compliance with public health measures. This will be crucial in the immunization campaign, which the Government can achieve efficiently, building on its known successes in child immunization in collaboration with non-governmental partners.
The government should build on Bangladesh's long and successful history of public-society partnerships and revise its approach to non-state actors. Harnessing these large resources in social capital will require the government to provide more space, freedom and active support to non-state actors if necessary. The government should review how laws restrict freedom of speech and association for non-state actors, thereby limiting their ability to implement and advocate for social reforms.
Plug the Gaps
Practice 21 st Century Statecraft to Strengthen Institutions
The government should collaborate with civil society organizations, non-governmental actors and other relevant stakeholders, including subject experts, to establish principles and practices for inclusive and sustainable economic stimulus packages during crises. For example, the representation of farmers, factory workers, workers in the informal sector and women in the political decision-making process would make the process more transparent and accountable to citizens. The government must establish effective, meaningful channels for organized citizen participation in policy-making, monitoring and feedback.
As mentioned earlier, the government needs to recognize and acknowledge the value of informed critics in improving its own. Various transparency and accountability mechanisms should be established, such as public disclosure of information on the allocation and use of financial incentives. An "antifragile" country must constantly innovate and adapt based on first-hand experience and feedback from the field.
It must also be able to institutionalize and use the learning in the future, when necessary, and adapt based on the new situation. To face future crises, the government must avoid the one-size-fits-all strategy. A functional system of feedback, civil servants equipped to tackle crises with flexibility and authority, and politicians informed and enabled to support - a learning and improving state possessing such qualities can mitigate the effects of ' a systemic crisis like.
Such a strategy is based on the state's dynamic risk/vulnerability assessment capabilities, strong synergy with local communities and the existence of efficient community-based feedback mechanisms. Institutional reforms to achieve such goals will help entrench antifragile elements in state institutions, making them fit for future crises. The IEDCR and partners share insights on the prevalence, seroprevalence and genomic epidemiology of COVID-19 in Dhaka city.
