United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday sought people’s cooperation in keeping their homes and surroundings clean to prevent dengue, saying collective efforts over the next three months can significantly reduce the disease. “Let us keep ourselves healthy, our families healthy, our society healthy and try to keep our country healthy,” he said while inaugurating the three-month nationwide ‘Dengue Prevention and Cleanliness Campaign-2026’ at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The Prime Minister urged people to spend at least one hour every week cleaning their homes, schools, colleges, workplaces and other surroundings to help prevent dengue. “This work is not very difficult. Today you may have to make a little effort, but if every week you give one hour to cleaning the place where you live, work or study, we will certainly be able to succeed quickly,” he said. Tarique stressed that preventing mosquito breeding is the safest and easiest way to tackle dengue, as discarded plastic, paper and other waste can collect stagnant water and create breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes. PM opens  3-month nationwide dengue prevention, cleanliness campaign “Let us all work together to solve this problem. Perhaps we will not be able to do it 100 percent, but at least we can do 80 percent,” he said referring to the three-month campaign.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday urged students to keep their homes, educational institutions and surroundings clean to help prevent dengue. He also advised them to play regularly alongside their studies and be caring towards animals and other living creatures. The Prime Minister gave the advice when a group of students from Kalmakanda Girls’ High School in Netrokona met him in front of his office at the Parliament complex around 5:30pm. Addressing the students, he stressed the need for everyone to remain aware of dengue prevention and ensure that no water remains stagnant in and around their homes. Tarique Rahman urged them to start the habit of cleanliness from their own families and encourage family members, friends and neighbours to keep their surroundings clean. “Your small initiatives can help build a clean and healthy society,” he told them. During the meeting, he also asked the students about their studies, classes and future aspirations. Stressing the importance of physical and mental development, the Prime Minister advised them to focus not only on textbooks but also to take part in regular sports and physical exercise. He also urged them to treat animals with kindness and avoid any cruel behaviour towards them, saying compassion for living creatures is a sign of a humane society. A total of 42 students from Classes VI to X visited Parliament to watch a session. They were accompanied by five teachers and two members of the school’s governing body. The students got the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister while visiting the Parliament complex. They expressed excitement at meeting Tarique Rahman in person and said they are keen to follow his advice in their own lives and share the messages with their families, schoolmates and people in their community.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate a three-month special nationwide campaign against dengue on Saturday, focusing on cleanliness and public awareness to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease. The decision to launch the campaign was taken following the Prime Minister’s directive at a meeting on dengue prevention at Secretariat, said his Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu. Tarique said the next three months should be treated as a high-risk period for dengue and stressed the need to focus on cleanliness and public awareness alongside mosquito-control measures. The Prime Minister said dengue cannot be effectively contained through mosquito-control measures alone and stressed the importance of raising public awareness and keeping homes and their surroundings clean. He directed the authorities to conduct coordinated field-level activities involving local administrations, voluntary organisations and students. Under the campaign, city corporations will coordinate activities in metropolitan areas,  deputy commissioners(DCs) will oversee the drives at the district level while upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) will coordinate activities at the upazila level. Volunteers from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, scouts, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Girl Guides, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and school and college students will participate in the cleanliness and awareness drives. Every Saturday, volunteers and students will visit homes and other establishments to take part in cleaning activities. They will also identify potential breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes and raise awareness among residents about keeping their homes and surroundings clean. Tarique also directed the authorities to conduct extensive dengue awareness campaigns through the mass media and social media, with particular emphasis on television advertisements and regular dissemination of dengue prevention messages online. Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, Information and Broadcasting Minister Andalib Rahman Partha, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Chowdhury, Prime Minister's Health Affairs Special Assistant Dr SM Ziauddin Haider, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Prime Minister's Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, Prime Minister's Special Assistant Dr Shakirul Islam Khan, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam and Information Secretary Mahbuba Farzana, among senior officials, attended the meeting.  

The education authorities have issued some guidelines as part of preparations to reopen educational institutions which have remained closed since March last year due to Covid pandemic. The teachers of primary schools have been instructed to return to their work places from Tuesday. Read:SSC, HSC exams either in Nov or Dec next: Education Minister The Primary Education Directorate asked the upazila/thana education officers to inspect the schools their jurisdiction within a week. Besides, it also gave instructions to keep the institutions clean and tidy by taking utmost care to prevent dengue. The primary school authorities were instructed to prepare their wash block accordingly. Besides, the Directorate of Secondary & Higher Education (DSHE) asked the regional directors to take necessary preparations to reopen schools and colleges. According to education ministry sources, most of the teachers and staffers of the educational institutions have been vaccinated. Read:Educational institutions to remain closed until July 31, says govt Besides, sources within the University Grants Commission claimed that around 80 % students of Dhaka University got their Covid jabs. However schools will reopen only after the covid positivity rate comes below 5 %, said a source of the education ministry. In that case, the closure of schools might be extended again. Director of DSHE professor Shahedul Kabir Chowdhury  said the regional directors  were asked to inspect and submit a report on the final preparations on resuming academic activities at educational institutions. Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Alamgir Md Mansurul Alam said teachers have been told to return to schools. Read:WB approves $191mn credit for Bangladesh’s education sector "We also instructed our officials to visit institutions and submit a report on preparations to reopen. Failure to do so will result in administrative actions," he added. The government shut down educational institutions on March 17, last year after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8. Then the closure was extended several times until August 31 this year.

Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam on Monday called for city dwellers’ cooperation in the drive against Aedes mosquito that causes dengue.  “The areas where Aedes mosquitoes can spread or breed have been identified and everybody knows how to destroy Aedes, Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes. There is no alternative other than creating more awareness to prevent dengue outbreak,” he said. The minister was speaking at a virtual inter-ministerial meeting on action to prevent the mosquito-borne diseases across the country. He said dengue must not be allowed to spread as the country is now struggling to rein the surging Covid infections. “Mosquitoes know no border and the people of entire country can’t be allowed to be harmed due to the irresponsibility of one or two men. Everyone should work in a coordinated way and perform their duties with responsibility,” he said. Responding to allegations of Aedes larvae being found in different establishments, Tajul said “It’s a major crime to be negligent in destroying the breeding centres of mosquitoes those found responsible for it will be penalised.” READ: Govt to import German machine to clean up floating garbage: LGRD Minister Besides, the two city corporations are conducting drives in this regard through mobile courts, he said. Tajul also urged the authorities concerned of under-construction buildings to use larvicide or kerosene on stagnant water over the basement or building roof. Committees will be formed after dividing each ward into ten sub zones and a councillor will lead the committee comprising members from the public, he said. The committee can be engaged in dealing with relief distribution, mosquito killing, waterlogging problem and natural disaster. READ: Government mulls National Water Grid Line: LGRD Minister