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Data-based exit strategy a must

BUILD chief Abul Kasem Khan says


FE Report | July 01, 2020 00:00:00


Abul Kasem Khan

The exit from lockdown or general holidays should be based on data to get the desired outcome, said a business leader.

"Entering into lockdown is a strategy and exit is also a strategy and this should be based on data and proper analysis done by the people concerned," said Abul Kasem Khan, president of the Business Initiative Leading Development or BUILD.

He said the lockdown across the country does not make sense.

"In my view, lockdown may be implemented based on the rate of infections in a certain area," he added. If there are lower infections, lockdown should not be imposed, he argued.

Mr Khan said the UK has considered the "R-factor" while easing the lockdown.

The R-factor, or R0 is defined as the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average.

If R is less than one then it is appropriate time for easing the lockdown, said Mr Khan, a scion of the country's pioneering business family.

Mr Khan also said Bangladesh has a lack of proper data related to the pandemic.

To gather sufficient data, he advocated ramping up the number of testing.

About sluggish sales in trading houses, the businessman said consumers are now more worried about their health than spending.

They may be saving their earnings for future consumption and the need for health purposes, he noted.

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