CoronaKal ( festival version )

The COVID Pandemic affected everyone across the world. Bangladesh was no different. The
way the COVID pandemic and the country’s response evolved is a story waiting to be told. Not just from the angle of the media headlines and government policy decisions but also from the way individuals and institutions adapted and responded.

The stories also highlight key aspects of the pandemic response; role of information and understanding real risk, community behavioral norms & role of community leaders, hospital infection control & medical ethics.

In this documentary, all characters share their personal and professional stories.
Dr Murshed, the director of the Holy Family hospital, tells us why his hospital became a COVID care center and how infection control challenges led to fear among his
staff but also brought them closer together as a team. Mr. Kourshed, a ward counsellor in
Narayaganj, shares his remarkable story of community action and support just when fear and panic was at its peak.

We see 2 families from different socio-economic realities and how their lives are
impacted by the pandemic in different ways. Shima, a Gazipur garment worker, must navigate a pregnancy during the pandemic and then accept the fact that her family’s economics are a priority over her fear of COVID.

In the end, the documentary explores the way events beyond our control impacted the people of Bangladesh in many different and often remarkable ways. It shows how the leadership of the country and its people were able to rise to the challenge and navigate its way through the pandemic. It challenges us to think beyond COVID to use this crisis as a chance to continue to strengthen our country’s health system and prepare for future heath crises.