While the most recent "lockdown" had helped bring down the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the country, it is now disappointing to see both members of the public and the authorities reverting to ways which led to the worst surge in the number of cases last month. The same disregard for health guidelines and restrictions that we witnessed before Eid, especially with homebound people, is being repeated now that those same people are flocking back to the capital. And with them, a fresh but morbidly familiar fear of a possible third wave of the virus.

The entry points into the capital are packed with thousands of people, while the enforcement of rules and regulations is lax, and ferry terminals are operating accordingly with each ferry leaving packed to the brim. Even though inter-district bus services are still closed, that is no hindrance to holidaymakers as they return to Dhaka in hazardously packed vehicles.

Restaurants, shopping malls, kitchen markets, parks, and mosques also seem to have returned to their normal state of not paying any heed to health guidelines or safety restrictions. To top this, law enforcement is also losing its zeal of checking if people are engaged in essential travelling or not.

We wonder if this is the right attitude to have for a nation sharing its borders with India, a country that is still going through one of the worst Covid-19 crises the world has seen yet. Is it also of no concern to the authorities or the general public that the Indian variant has been detected in Bangladesh and that it is much more potent than any variant we have dealt with in the past?

All this is telling of the lack of responsibility and transparency within concerned authorities, such as the health ministry. According to virologist Prof Nazrul Islam, the recommendations sent to this ministry by an advisory committee have been left idle for days. Because the committee does not know which health ministry officials see their recommendations, receiving updates after a file has been sent is difficult.   Listing down preventative rules and restrictions is only the first step of curbing the spread of the virus. These rules have to be implemented strictly by every arm of the government in every public corner of the country. The government must ramp up awareness regarding the need to adhere to all the safety guidelines so that people voluntarily abide by them. Hopefully it is still not too late to take these steps and stop a possible third wave of Covid-19 in its tracks.