Curfew of Bangladesh is necessary for maintaining orderly safety over a national system, though the context of constant curfews casts a shadow over the usual playfulness and happiness of public life. With an imposed restriction "Shoot at Sight", Bangladesh's ongoing curfew have made a total portrait of disrupted daily life. The lack of access to all needful amenities like telecommunication, internet, television, outside exploration, electricity, transportation service, ready money, schooling, transactional support, and further compounding issues is responsible for seeming the present situation very harder. Particularly in the global context, educational and recreational opportunities are tied with these smart tools. Indefinite shut-downs of all educational institutions from pre-primary to tertiary level are still effective. People of Bangladesh have experienced intense difficulties passing the juncture of curfew days. For the very first time, 21st-century smart Bangladesh is realizing the sense of extreme social isolation and deprivation. Awfully, the prolonged strict curfews cause a fatal decline of infant joy and happiness. This leads to a vast period of no stimulation and engagement in daily regularities for infants. This has resulted in a drought of infant joy. The impact shows a blockage of overall well-being and development.
The absence of normal daily routines, outdoor activities, indoor learning engagement, and social connections has initiated a significant impact on the interrupted growth of infants. During this challenging period in Bangladesh, they are not ready to cope with the sudden changes brought about by the curfews. Even more, during the curfews, parents have faced many challenges, including financial difficulties with continuous national barriers and coping with parenting and dealing with their infants.
Infants are almost detached from the normalities in their lives. Therewithal, the vibrant joy and innocent laughter of infants and young children seem to have faded into the backdrop of an unsettling reality in Bangladesh. They are constrained by national restrictions. They find themselves struggling to balance well. A nurturing and joyful environment for infants is now a nightmare. The absence of routine activities such as class performances, scheduled tests, outdoor play and exploration, and infant interactions creates a void in the lives of these young ones.
The closure of schools during curfews has added another layer of challenge for infant development. Comprehensively, it can affect their routines and their great well-being. However, schools play a crucial role in providing not just education but also regulating academic interaction, cognitive structure, and a sense of normalcy. Schools have shut down indefinitely, and so infants and young children miss out on regular vital experiences and the joy that comes with them.
Infants and young children are about to fall behind in their education. This interruption in formal education leads to significant learning losses. Children miss out on critical instruction and face delays in academic progress after reopening schools. The absence of structured learning environments also exacerbates educational inequality, basically for those who rely on schools for basic resources and support.
"The closure of schools during curfews has added another layer of
challenge for infant development. Comprehensively, it can affect their
routines and their great well-being"
There is no option for arranging online schooling due to immobilized internet service. Even infants and young children never get any educational radio programs in Bangladesh. No radio stations broadcast educational content, including lessons, stories, and interactive programs for infants and young children. Tele-education must be developed with television broadcasting educational programs and lessons during certain hours of the day.
Overall, infants have no access to educational and recreational opportunities. They find no sources of time-passing entertainment, such as internet access, television, or other modern media. Overall life routine is profoundly affected by these. This is especially challenging for smart infants and young children who rely heavily on interactive learning and engaging activities for both entertainment and academic development.
The disruption hampers academics and affects the holistic development and happiness of young ones. The present worrisome situation heightens the feelings of tiring boredom, anxiety, frustration, panicking depression, loneliness, stress, and fear. Exposure to curfew enforcement can lead to severe anxiety, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Continuous stress due to the unsafe environment and lack of normalcy can result in long-term depression and mental illness.
The joyful smiles that once came easily are now so dimmed. The imposition of the curfew overshadowed everything. The familiar rhythm of daily life is disrupted. The vibrant, carefree infancy is replaced by a more subdued and uncertain atmosphere. The unfortunate societal measures highlight the broader impact of the great damage to infant development.
Indeed, a curfew environment can create significant psychological barriers for infant growth and joy. Infants and young children are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment and routine. A curfew, especially when coupled with restricted access to usual activities and resources, can impact their development and well-being. Parents' stress and strain levels are getting higher. They can hardly provide a nurturing and stable environment for their children during such times of extended curfews. In turn, the quality of care giving and the overall environment for the child are questioned. So infants of the whole Bangladesh are experiencing a dire situation of challenges, the deprivation of basic needs, and exposure to continuous curfews.
The prolonged curfew on quota movement in Bangladesh has significantly impacted the overall sound development of infants and young children. The continuous effect on their physical, psychological, social, and educational growth is noticeable. A network of infant joy, care, and resilience must be protected. For the well-balance of physical and psychological health of infants and young children, the requirement of a notable normalcy, cognitive engagement, developmental well-being, sound secured surroundings and cheerful joy.
The writer is a teacher, Faculty of English, Imperial International School, Dhaka (IISD)
