Lockdown could be meaningful, when your brain is kept active
As many countries have been under lockdown, people have discovered to adapt to the brand new reality and several are wondering how some changes within their lives as a result of the pandemic could be retained, once it really is all over!
UNB spoke to three eminent personalities -- venerable urban planner Prof Nazrul Islam, leading economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya and celebrated writer Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam -- because of their insights on how to help make the almost all of these unusual times.
They each show that whenever the mind could be kept active, lockdown and social distancing need hardly feel restrictive.
Prof Nazrul Islam
Prof Nazrul Islam passes his days writing and reading books, helping around the household, and perhaps most profoundly: spending time along with his two grandsons - aged 3 and 1-and-a-half years respectively -who along with their mother are currently staying with him and his wife Prof Rowshan Ara Begum at their Dhanmondi-27 residence.
Prof Islam, who turned 82 just days ago (April 16), said he rather targets leading a ‘meaningful’ life; coming to home or not is secondary.
“I remain busy even at home. I’m never bored! I really do grow extremely anxious, but not upset, over the coronavirus outbreak. We should be courageous to face a pandemic,” he said.
The ex-chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh starts his day with a cup of tea and slight breakfast, often preparing his own. Then he reads newspapers, watches television, mostly the latest coronavirus news, interspersed with the right old-fashioned entertainment programmes.
Prof Islam, the founder chair of the Centre for Urban Studies (CUS), Dhaka, loves hanging out with his two grandkids - the two sons of his younger daughter, who herself teaches at North South University - as their mother remains busy taking online classes during the day.
He often assists his wife Rowshan Ara Begum, herself a retired professor of Bengali, in household chores. Their part-time domestic help is on indefinite leave (paid) for the lockdown.
He is now reading several books at a time. They include ‘Dhakay Guerrilla Juddha’ (Guerrilla Warfare in Dhaka) jointly edited by Prof AKM Golam Rabbani and Dr Delwar Hossain, Ek Police-er Diary’ (Diary of a Policeman) by former DIG Shafiqullah, and re-reading the Maxim Gorky novel ‘Mother’ after 51 years.
Prof Islam, who retired as Professor of Geography and Environment at Dhaka University, said he now keeps himself engaged in his writings as well, including giving final touches to at least three of his upcoming books titled ‘Collection of Public Lectures,, ‘Geography of Bangladesh’ and ‘Autobiographical Essays.’
Intriguingly, while having his morning tea, he writes ‘the diary of his three grandsons’ -- both mentioned earlier and another aged eight-and-a-half, by way of their elder daughter.
“I used to write the diary of our daughters during the past, and now write the main one of our grandsons,” he said.
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said working at home has increased his workload, but he too has been caught under the spell of family life. “Suddenly, I’m presently rediscovering marital life, and even family life,” he said.
He passes his days working online along with his local and foreign colleagues and partners, speaking with the media and civil society, and most fulfillingly it would seem: enquiring of the locals at his ancestral home or desh at Elenga in Tangail, with a view to assisting them as best he can.
“I spend 5-6 hours on Skype each day,” said Dr Debapriya, among the country’s leading economists and also a public policy analyst.
He enters ‘chats’ along with his Bangladeshi associates in the morning, before shifting to his colleagues in Europe, particularly Geneva, Paris, Brussels and London, where lots of the leading international bodies across a number of fields can be found, often headquartered.
Dr Debapriya had a stint in 2007-8 as Bangladesh’s long term representative at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
The renowned macroeconomist does make time for his colleagues in NY or a number of the Latin American think-tanks as evening falls in Bangladesh, and your day just starts for the reason that part of the world.
“Since all the international events have been cancelled, we have to make it up through web-based seminars and discussions,” he said. Planning the “post-Covid-19 future” is a prominent part of the networking.
Many persons in Elenga have fallen into financial hardship as a result of crisis, as there is absolutely no social protection or social security for them, Dr Debapriya said. In extending his hand to aid them, he has chiefly been utilising bKash.
Moving to lighter pursuits, Dr Debapriya said he is also tinkering with cooking, while “learning the worthiness of local spices”.
Syed Manzoorul Islam
Syed Manzoorul Islam, a former professor of English at Dhaka University, said his days are spent taking online classes, writing, watching television set and online news, and doing light physical activity at home.
“Since I’m a teacher, I take online classes. The attendance of students can be good and they also send their queries through messages,” said Prof Manzoorul, who now teaches at BRAC University.
Although Prof Manzoorul does not panic, he does still get anxious through the pandemic, particularly fretting about the less-fortunate in society.
“I used to create for pleasure, however now it’s as if the work is because of its own sake. It’s hard to target as you should,” Prof Manzoorul said, adding that his days usually do not maintain a specific order.
Prof Manzoorul’s conscience is troubled by the quantity of people who'll be pushed below the poverty line in the coming days. “The political criminalisation in society should be eradicated (to ensure the welfare of the have-nots),” he said.
Source: www.theindependentbd.com
