Managing the post COVID-19 new normal: Redressing vulnerabilities of different occupational groups through social contract of public sector transparency and accountability

The COVID-19 has had a significant impact on various occupational groups in Bangladesh, disrupting their fundamental necessities and everyday activities. This study examines the governance responses to these occupational groups, focusing on transparency and accountability through the lens of the social contract theory. Unlike prior studies focused on economic impacts, this study reveals how governance failures exacerbated vulnerabilities of a critical gap in pandemic literature. By employing a mixed-methods approach, this study integrated qualitative techniques (key informant interviews and focus group discussions) with quantitative surveys to analyze both primary data collected from 355 respondents and secondary data from institutional reports and scholarly literature. A significant association was found between the pandemic's impact and occupational groups (X²(1, N = 355) =49.09, p = 0.000), highlighting job losses, reduced income, business closures, and salary deductions. A high prevalence of income dissatisfaction was observed, with 97.7 % of respondents expressing their discontent. Financial strain during different pandemic waves was evident, with t-values of 13.09 (first wave vs. pre-pandemic), −11.051 (first wave vs. second wave), and 8.073 (pre-pandemic vs. second wave), all p < 0.001. The government played a major role in providing food (p = 0.000) and health (p = 0.002) support; however, cash aid did not demonstrate statistical significance (p = 0.138). Gender inequalities were apparent in the provision of relief aid, with notable discrepancies in food assistance (p = 0.007), cash support (p < 0.001), and healthcare aid (p < 0.001). The study findings highlight the gaps in accountability and transparency in distributing support services, offering valuable insights for policymakers and researchers to enhance the resilience of impoverished populations in future crises. The study reveals novel insights into gendered aid disparities, urban-rural perception gaps, and systemic shortcomings in social safety nets during crises.