Bangladesh on Road to Recovery from COVID-19

By Asian Development Bank

December 27^th, 2021

A Health and Economic Crisis

Thousands of daily wage earners in Bangladesh were severely affected by the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. For months, lockdowns and restricted mobility prevented them from earning a living and providing for their families. Businesses and industries were forced to temporarily close, grinding Bangladesh's thriving economy to a halt.

A cleaner carries bins filled with garbage in front of the railway station at Kamlapur in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Rickshaw pullers sit idle as they wait for riders during the limited movement of people in the street in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Small traders wait for customers at the new market Kacha Bazar in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A Timely Response

The Government of Bangladesh acted swiftly to address the immediate health requirements and implemented containment measures to combat COVID-19. It also provided assistance and stimulus packages to vulnerable families, especially female-headed households, to survive the crisis.

Railway staff sprays sanitizer as a precaution against the virus infection at the entry point of the railway station at Kamlapur in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A security official checks identity cards and licenses of drivers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The security officials have advised people to stay home as well.

Volunteers spray disinfectants on a rickshaw in the streets in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A pathologist works at the final testing process of COVID-19 testing at the National Institute of Laboratory Medicine & Referral Centre (NILMRC), Agargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Doctors examine a COVID-19 patient at the intensive care unit at Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Hospital, Mohakhali in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Protecting the Vulnerable

Social protection is also crucial in crises and emergencies to help vulnerable groups cope and prevent losses.

Bangladesh on Road to Recovery from COVID-19

Bangladesh and ADB Partnership

From the start, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has stood beside the Government of Bangladesh to fight this dreaded disease and help put the country back on track for its long-term growth and development.

Medical staff registers the COVID-19 testing samples at the National Institute of Laboratory Medicine & Referral Centre (NILMRC), Agargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Pathologists work at the National Institute of Laboratory Medicine & Referral Centre (NILMRC), Agargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A nurse is preparing to vaccinate people at the Vaccine Center in Dhaka Medical Hospital. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A nurse administers a dose of vaccine to a woman at the Vaccine Center in Dhaka Medical Hospital. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Improving the Health Sector

It has strengthened the country's public health system. More than 20,800 doctors, nurses, and other frontline medical workers were given two months' basic pay as a special honorarium.

Doctor Md. Rehan Uddin Khan, head of ICU, and other doctors consult updates of the Corona patients at the ICU ward at Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Hospital, Mohakhali in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Doctor Md. Rehan Uddin Khan, head of ICU, examines a corona patient at the ICU ward at Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Hospital, Mohakhali in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Doctor Md. Rehan Uddin Khan, head of ICU, and his team examine Corona patients at the ICU ward at Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Hospital, Mohakhali in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Support to Workers and Businesses

Salary support and wage subsidies have been provided to over 3.8 million workers in export-oriented industries, equivalent to $576.3 million. Access to low-interest loans was improved to affected industries, small and medium-sized enterprises, and farmers.

Lonely saleswomen inside a boutique shop in Dhaka, Bangladesh

People buy food wearing face masks inside a bakery shop after the shutdown announcement from the government in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A street vendor waits for customers with his fruits in front of the biggest wholesale market at Karwanbazar in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Trainees learn sewing on woven garments at a training center run by BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) in Tongi near Dhaka.

Helping the Poor

Over 15 million poor and vulnerable people in Bangladesh have been aided through ADB's $500 million budget support under the COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) Program and other programs.

People queue at a vaccine center at Rajdhani High School on Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Over 211,117 tonnes of rice have been distributed to around 12.93 million vulnerable families (30 % of which are female-headed households) with 20 kg of rice per month per family. It has also widened social safety net coverage. As of June 2021, $58.3 million has been disbursed for a total of 850,000 newly enrolled old-aged, widows, and husband-deserted women from 112 most poverty-stricken subdistricts. Each of the 3.5 million low-income families (0.86 million of which are female-headed households) received $30 as one-time cash support.

Relief distribution among the low-income families in Dhaka, Bangladesh

A group of people maintaining social distance during relief distribution among the low-income families in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Hope After the Pandemic

ADB will continue to help Bangladesh overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. In the long-term, support will promote greener, more inclusive socio-economic recovery, address inequality, and strengthen human development by investing in health, education, and social protection.