Nation welcomes new year

Welcome to the New Year 2022, the Gregoria ncalendar later turns as English calendar. Bangladeshis like others around the globe are welcoming the first day of the new year today (Saturday). With an unusual hope people of Bangladesh are expecting to return to a new normal life. A huge number of people across the country were vaccinated to prevent the deadly Coronavirus despite its Omicron variant sweeping around the world. Usually the New Year's Eve comes as an occasion for huge celebration across the globe, bidding farewell to the outgoing year.

But, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the nations to avoid any kind of public gatherings or extravaganza centering the New Year celebration in 2020 while this year would also witness a limited celebration as many countries across the world have already put several restrictions afresh to slow the spread of the highly-infectious Omicron variant of Covid-19. Though the New Year's Eve is likely look different like all of the 2021 holidays, the people in Bangladesh will celebrate the occasion with the traditional manner maintaining the health guidelines and social distancing.

Jubilant people, particularly the young population, might spend the evening watching New Year's movies or playing a New Year's game at homes with family members rather than going out for a glitzy night in the town, with the clock strikes 12 midnight. As 2021 draws to a close, New Zealand will be among the first few countries to usher in the New Year. Celebrations then move across the world -- to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and finally the Americas. On this special occasion, people have already conveyed their best wishes to their friends and beloved ones through different messaging applications and social media platforms. Corporate and government officials and various organisations also did the same thing as they do every year to greet their nearest ones.

The day is also a moment of looking back to the outgoing year for reviewing the successes and failures and planning strategies to reach new goals for the New Year, with accomplishing the unfinished tasks those need to be done in the coming days. The year 2021 was a significant year for Bangladesh as amidst the global pandemic, the country saw many successes in major areas including politics, economy, agriculture and driving the IT sectors towards attaining the middle-income status.

Alongside many achievements and global recognitions, the country was totally peaceful in the political landscape in 2021. The peaceful political situation allowed the nation's economy to grow faster. The outgoing year also came with an extra significance since two giant celebrations- the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the country's independence- have been celebrated simultaneously in the country.

In separate messages, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will greet the countrymen on the occasion of New Year 2022 this evening. Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) restricted public gatherings at open spaces, including rooftops, on the night of December 31 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The DMP asked all not to arrange any cultural programme on roads, flyovers, building rooftops and other public places. No fireworks or parties will be allowed under the open sky on 31st night on the occasion of the New Year 2022 celebration.

World rings New Year 

The world prepared on Friday to usher in 2022, after another tumultuous and pandemic-ridden year capped by new restrictions, soaring case numbers, and a slight glimmer of hope for better times ahead. The eventful last 12 months saw a new US president and a new Adele album, the first spectator-free Olympics, and dreams of democracy from Afghanistan to Myanmar to Hong Kong crushed by authoritarian regimes.

But it was the pandemic -- now entering its third year -- that again dominated life for most of humankind.

Over 5.4 million people have died since the coronavirus was first reported in central China in December 2019.

Countless more have been sickened -- subjected to outbreaks, lockdowns, lock-ins and an alphabet spaghetti of PCR, LFT and RAT tests.

Hope came as life-saving vaccines were rolled out to around 60 percent of the world's population, although many of its poor still have limited access, and some of its rich believe the jabs are part of some ill-defined plot.

But as 2021 drew to a close, the emergence of the Omicron variant pushed the number of daily new Covid cases past one million for the first time, according to an AFP tally.

Britain, the United States, and even Australia -- long a refuge from the pandemic -- are breaking records for new cases.

To party, or not?

From Seoul to San Francisco, New Year's Eve celebrations have again been cancelled or curtailed. In Rio, celebrations that usually bring three million people to Copacabana Beach, will go ahead. Like at New York's Times Square, official events in the Brazilian city will be scaled back -- but crowds of revellers are still expected.

"People have only one desire, to leave their homes, to celebrate life after a pandemic that has forced everyone to lock themselves up," 45-year-old Copacabana beach waiter Francisco Rodrigues said.

Some Brazilians are more circumspect, after one of the world's most deadly outbreaks that left 6,18,000 dead.

"There will be lots of people on Copacabana," said 27-year-old lawyer Roberta Assis. "It's inevitable."

She said she plans to go to a friend's house with a small group, adding: "It's not the moment for large gatherings."

Australia's largest city Sydney has also decided to press ahead with a firework display that will light up the city's iconic harbour.

Unlike last year's spectator-free event, tens of thousands of revellers are expected to crowd the foreshore.

Australian authorities say their abrupt U-turn -- abandoning "Covid-zero" in favour of "living with Covid" -- is based on high rates of adult vaccination and mounting evidence that Omicron is less deadly.

The dramatic reversal mirrors a wider trend that has seen leaders of Western countries in particular hesitant to bring back the strict controls of 2020, to avoid a new economic downturn.

But in the on-off reality of Covid restrictions, 2021 saw a rise in anti-lockdown protests while a minority remained hesitant to get vaccinated -- raising the question of how the pandemic can ever end if inoculation rates plateau.

Trying times

It was not all doom and gloom, however. In South Africa, the first country to report the new variant, a midnight-to-4:00am curfew was lifted to allow celebrations to go ahead.

Health officials there said that a dip in infections in the past week indicated the peak of the current wave had passed.

Experts hope that trend will be replicated elsewhere and that 2022 may be remembered as a new, less deadly phase of the pandemic.

But the World Health Organization has warned of trying times ahead.

"I am highly concerned that Omicron, being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as Delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases," WHO chief TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus said.

"This is and will continue to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers, and health systems on the brink of collapse."