Pandemic and Governance in Bangladesh: Case of Field Administration

    

         Journal of Governance and Development          Vol. 1, Issue 1, June 2021         ISSN-2710-1207

Pandemic and Governance in Bangladesh: Case of Field Administration

Tanjil Ahmed[1] Tamanna Akter[2]

Abstract

Currently, countries around the globe are simultaneously fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. The government of Bangladesh has already taken and implemented several policies to control the spread of the COVID-19. Moreover, in building public awareness, the central and field administration has implemented several policies such as-lockdown strategy, isolation, home quarantine, obligatory use of masks, ensuring social distance, etc. Conversely, due to being a densely populated country, most of the rural people in Bangladesh are not aware of the threat of COVID-19. In this regard, field administration (Upazila Administration) i.e UNO (Upazila Nirbahi Officer) has been playing a significant role to make rural people aware from the very beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. But in some cases, the Upazila administration faced some limitations. Thereafter, the study has identified the different roles of UNO in building public awareness at rural levels in Bangladesh. The study was conducted based on a quantitative approach of exploratory nature. The findings of the study demonstrated that a large group of rural people i.e 71% had the knowledge about the threat of the COVID-19, but 53.6% of rural people did not use masks, and 9.10% did not have faith in the physical distance that can eliminate the risk of COVID-19. As well, 50% of respondents argued that UNO played a significant role to enhance rural people's awareness amid the pandemic. Especially, 38% and 32.70 % of respondents argued that implementation of the ‘No Mask, No Service’ policy and 'monitoring initiative' was an effective mechanism to increase public awareness respectively. Thereafter, the authors illustrated several suggestions to enhance the rural people's awareness amid the pandemic in Bangladesh.

Key Words: Pandemic, Governance, Field Administration, Public Awareness, Role of UNO, Monitoring. 

1. Lecturer, Dept. of Public Administration and Governance Studies, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Trishal, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

2. BSS & MSS, Dept. of Public Administration and Governance Studies, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Trishal, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Please click here to read the full paper