In Bangladesh, the first three known cases of COVID-19 were reported on 8 March 2020. On 22 March, a 10-day shutdown effective from the 26th of the month was declared. Subsequently the government asked the army to enforce social distancing strictly, with teams of soldiers deployed across the country, leaving the streets empty in the capital Dhaka and most roadside shops closed.
Bangladesh exemplifies the triple blow that many countries have suffered from COVID-19:
- domestic slowdown caused by the disease and the efforts to contain its spread;
- a sharp decline in exports, and
- a drop in remittances
In this brief, Concern Worldwide report on the experiences of a number of people in Dhaka and Chattogram on the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent response. All are currently included on Concern Worldwide’s Improving the Lives of the Urban Extreme Poor (ILUEP) livelihood programme which is funded by Irish Aid.