Millions of Bangladeshis are shopping and traveling this week during a controversial eight-day pause in the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown that the government is allowing for the festival Eidul Azha. The suspension has been panned by health experts who warn it could exacerbate an ongoing surge fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant, which was first detected in neighbouring India.

“Already there is a scarcity of beds, ICUs, while our health care providers are exhausted,” said Be-Nazir Ahmed, a public health expert and former chief of the government’s Health Directorate. “So if the situation worsens and more patients come to hospitals, it will be near impossible to deal with the crisis.”

Despite the warnings from experts — and with just over 4 million of the country’s 160 million people fully vaccinated — the government announced that from July 15-23, all restrictions would be lifted and everything would be reopened so people could celebrate the festival, which is normally a boon to the economy.

“But, in all situations people must stay alert, use face masks and strictly follow health instructions,” a government policy statement said.

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