Dear people of my country/ Artist Momtaz is here/ Favourite with all of you/ Sharing a great feeling of mine/ When my friend coming back to homeland/ Thoughtful for good of others/ Locks himself up in home/ For 14 days on/ Wraps me in with/ A true feeling of goodness...
With these words, the iconic ‘Queen of Folk' starts her song that conveys awareness-raising messages to tackle COVID-19. As a part of its effort to sensitise mass people about the abiding rules of social distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene to tackle the pandemic, BRAC has paired with the eminent singer to launch this song on Tuesday, 31 March 2020.
Lyrics carrying life-saving messages with the tunes of a popular song of the artist, the song is expected to create a significant impact on the society, helping people adopt standard practices imperative to combat COVID-19.
As part of its series of digital and social media content for behaviour change communication, BRAC has already paired with Kuddus Boyati, one of the noted folk singers of Bangladesh, and released an informative song earlier. The composition has already attracted a great number of audience and engagements while being played on loudspeakers in cities, towns and villages across the country.
Artist Momtaz Begum, who is also a sitting Member of Parliament, said, "It is our duty to come forward during this national crisis and help people in any way we can."
Moutushi Kabir, Director of Communications and Outreach, BRAC and BRAC International, said "The most important arms to fight the pandemic at present is public awareness and change in our daily habits and behaviours. BRAC is actively supporting the Government of Bangladesh and partnering with a wide number of private sector and non-governmental organisations to fight COVID-19. We are grateful that popular artists like Momtaz Begum and Kuddus Boyati have come forward to help us in taking the message to the mass, especially in suburban and rural areas."
Ms Kabir also stressed the importance of active initiatives to counter the spread of fear and rumours around COVID-19 symptoms that is often barring people with fever, chest congestion or breathing conditions from accessing treatment from professional physicians or health facilities.
This is part of BRAC’s ongoing public awareness and behavioural change interventions to stop the spread and social transmission of COVID-19. The messages are relayed extensively in rural areas by BRAC’s frontline staff, reinforced through miking, social media and mass media promotion and cascaded through 16 community radio networks across Bangladesh.
