United News of Bangladesh

Residents across Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) are struggling with an unrelenting mosquito infestation, facing bites day and night with little respite even inside their homes. The worsening situation has reignited concerns over a potential spike in dengue cases during the winter months. Despite SCC spending crores of taka every year on mosquito-control programmes, residents say the efforts have produced no visible improvement, prompting serious questions about the effectiveness of the city authority. Naogaon residents battle dengue surge as urban services falter According to SCC data, Tk 2.26 crore was allocated for mosquito eradication in the fiscal year 2025–26 — the same amount spent in the previous fiscal year.  The funds were used to purchase 4,000 litres of larvicide (Temephos 50 EC) and 25,000 litres of adulticide (Malathion 57 EC) from the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory. Yet residents insist the services remain grossly inadequate. Many complain that fogging machines appear on the streets only occasionally — sometimes just once or twice a year — leaving several neighbourhoods completely untouched.  The organisation does not have a permanent mosquito-control workforce and instead relies on daily wage earners hired seasonally.  While officials maintain that 30–40 workers are deployed regularly, citizens argue that the efforts make little difference. As the mosquito menace intensifies, dengue infections are also creeping up in Sylhet.  Two people have died of dengue this year, and new cases are being reported every day.  Although SCC claims most of the infected patients are from outside the city, anxiety among residents is rising. Young adults hit hard as Bangladesh logs 593 dengue cases, 3 deaths At the Central Shaheed Minar area, college student Sumon Shawon said even standing outdoors in the evening has become unbearable. “We came here for a chat but within minutes the mosquitoes swarmed us. It’s impossible to sit or talk,” he said, calling for urgent larvicide treatment of drains and stagnant water. Apu, a resident of ward No-17, echoed the frustration, saying the situation is fuelling widespread fear. “There’s fever and cold everywhere. We can’t even tell which is dengue and which is normal flu. Mosquito bites are leaving rashes and allergies, causing more illness,” he said. SCC’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Md Zahidul Islam, admitted the crisis in manpower.  He said around 45 mosquito-control workers and seven supervisors are engaged daily, but the number falls far short of requirements. Ideally, each ward should have four to five workers and a supervisor.  With 42 wards under its jurisdiction, SCC would need more than 200 staff — a capacity the organisation cannot afford due to financial constraints. He said although SCC has recommended permanent recruitment since 2021, various complications have stalled progress. Dr Zahidul pointed out that instead of the monthly insecticide treatments recommended for effective control, the city manages to spray only two to three times a year, resulting in minimal, short-lived benefits. Emphasising the role of public awareness, he said complete mosquito control is impossible without active citizen participation. “If people cooperate, even one or two planned operations a year would be enough. Otherwise, the large amount spent on insecticides will simply go to waste,” he warned. As of 4 December this year, Bangladesh has recorded 394 deaths from dengue nationwide.  During the same period, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) registered 96,627 dengue-affected cases.  

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday expressed deep concern over the fresh spread of dengue and a deadly variant of Covid-19, urging the government to take immediate and visible steps, including equipping district-level hospitals with necessary medicines and equipment, to tackle the emerging health risks. “Ensuring the safety and saving the lives of people is the main responsibility of the government. I have seen that they have taken some steps, but they should take more extensive and visible measures as both dengue and a new variant of Covid-19 are spreading across the country,” he said. Rizvi made the remarks while talking to reporters at the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office. He said 288 people have been infected with dengue, with 261 of them in the Barishal division alone. Of the 261 dengue patients in Barishal division, the BNP leader said 202 were reported in just Barguna district. As dengue spreads like an epidemic in a particular district, Rizvi said the government should form a taskforce on an emergency basis and declare the district an emergency service area. “I want to ask the government why they are not taking such steps.” He said a new variant of Covid-19—five times deadlier than previous variants like Delta and Omicron—has been spreading in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries. “So, the people want to see the government take visible steps against this health hazard.” The BNP leader said people across the country also want to know whether hospitals at the grassroots level are equipped with adequate medicines and equipment to deal with dengue and a potential Covid-19 outbreak. He urged the government and the Ministry of Health to play a proactive role in taking the necessary steps to tackle the spread of dengue and coronavirus. About the meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman scheduled for Friday in London, Rizvi said the people are very interested in the discussions and is keeping a close watch on what they talk about regarding reforms, the election, its timing and any possible understanding they may reach on these crucial issues. “These matters are now widely discussed across Bangladesh, and people expect they will be resolved through this meeting. They also anticipate that a positive message will emerge from this high-level meeting, and it is absolutely essential,” he said.   Rizvi said the meeting, set to begin at 9am (London time) on Friday between the Chief Adviser and Tarique, will help ensure peace and stability in the country. “We wish the meeting every success. It is very important for taking the country forward with a permanent shape of democratic system… this meeting is highly significant and will play an important role in advancing the national election, reforms, and the overall democratic process,” he said. The BNP leader also hoped that the meeting will help find a positive solution to the key issues of contention. Referring to the matter of former Awami League minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury’s assets being seized in the UK, he alleged that a certain quarter is spreading propaganda about the Chief Adviser’s visit to Britain in an attempt to divert public attention from their misdeeds. The BNP leader said only one family and a clique within the Awami League have looted the nation’s wealth over the past 16 years and laundered it abroad. Prof Yunus-Tarique meeting to usher in a fresh breeze for democracy: Rizvi He demanded appropriate action against those living in luxury overseas after looting public money through mega projects like the Padma Bridge, flyovers, and quick rental power plants. “Should a party that steals public money be allowed to do politics? They siphoned off huge sums over the past 16 years. They must be tried for looting and for the deaths of the youth and children.” Rizvi also said India has been continuing the push-in of its citizens into Bangladesh through various border points. “India pushed in its citizens identifying them as foreigners along the borders even yesterday (Wednesday).” Rizvi questions govt preparedness over new COVID variant spread The BNP leader further alleged that the Chief Minister of India’s Assam has been making provocative remarks against Bangladesh daily. “Whether this is part of a larger master plan is now a question among the people of Bangladesh and the international community. Why is India suddenly pushing people--none of whom are Bangladeshi citizens-- into our countrty?” He called upon India to show restraint, stating that these actions challenge Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty. “The people of Bangladesh will not accept this.”  

Amid the worrying rise in Dengue patients in hospitals, Directorate General of the Health Services (DGHS) on Monday announced six hospitals of Dhaka as Dengue- dedicated ones. A notification signed by Director of Management Information System (MIS) of the directorate professor Dr Mizanur Rahman was issued in this regard. Read Dengue vs. Severe Dengue: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention According to the notification the six dedicated hospitals are-  Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital,  Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital at Tongi in Gazipur; Railway General Hospital at Kamalapur, Dhaka, 20-bed Aminbazar Govt Hospital in Dhaka, Lalkuthi Hospital at Mirpur in Dhaka, and 31-bed Kamrangirchar Hospital in Dhaka. The country is now battling the dengue outbreak amid the Covid pandemic  as some 1,218 patients diagnosed with dengue were reported receiving treatment at different hospitals as of Sunday morning, said DGHS. Read Dengue vs. COVID-19: Symptoms, when & where to test, ways of prevention This year, Dengue fever has claimed 36 lives so far. Of them, 32 have died in Dhaka city, two in Chattogram division, one each in Khulna and  Rajshahi. Most of the cases  have been reported in the capital so far, said the health authorities. Health authorities have been recording over 200 dengue cases per day since August 1. Also read: DGHS worried over dengue situation Some 8,041 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January, and 6,787 of them have been released after they recovered. “We all witnessed how hard the dengue situation hit us in 2019. We are on the brink of a similar situation this year,” said DGHS spokesperson Md. Nazmul Islam on Wednesday. Read  BGMEA calls for raising social awareness to prevent Dengue

As many as 224 new patients were hospitalized in 24 hours till Sunday morning amid a growing concern over a spike in dengue cases. Since August 1, the country has been seeing over 200 dengue cases every day adding worries to the already overburdened health sector with Covid-19 patients. Read: BGMEA issues guidelines on prevention of dengue, chikungunya Of the new dengue cases, 211 were reported in Dhaka while the remaining 13 from outside the division, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). According to the (DGHS), 946 patients are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country. Of them, 900 patients were reported to be admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rests in other divisions. Some 4,543 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 3,587 of them have been released after they recovered. So far, 10 suspected deaths caused by dengue were reported to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) but none of them had been reviewed and confirmed yet, said the DGHS. Read:Dengue surge in Bangladesh: 204 more hospitalized in 24 hrs Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the year that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better. The fatalities had almost fallen to zero at one stage, before surging again in 2018, leading to the severe outbreak the following year.

As the number of Dengue cases keep rising in Bangladesh, 204 new patients were hospitalized in 24 hours till Saturday morning. Since August 1, the country has been seeing over 200 dengue cases every day adding worries to the already overburdened health sector with Covid-19 patients. Of the new dengue cases, 194 were reported in Dhaka while the rest from outside the division, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Also read: Alarming Dengue surge: 264 more hospitalised in 24 hrs According to the (DGHS), 997 patients are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country. Of them, 958 patients were reported to be admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rests in other divisions. Some 4,319 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 3,312 of them have been released after they recovered. So far, 10 suspected deaths caused by dengue were reported to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) but none of them has been reviewed and confirmed yet, said the DGHS. Also read: 3 new dengue patients admitted to Khulna hospital Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better. The fatalities had almost fallen to zero at one stage, before surging again in 2018, leading to the severe outbreak the following year.

Amid a growing concern over  spike in Dengue cases, 264 new patients were hospitalized across the country in the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning. Of the new dengue cases, 248 were reported in Dhaka while 16 were from outside the capital, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Read:Anti-dengue drive: City corporations raise Tk 8.6 lakh in fines According to the (DGHS), 1072 patients are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country. A vast majority of the dengue patients are from Dhaka as only 47 of them were reported being treated in hospitals outside the capital. Some 3,446 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 2,370 of them have been released after they recovered. The outbreak of dengue fever has sparked new worries as the country’s health services are already overburdened with increasing Covid cases and fatalities. To eradicate dengue larvae in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) areas a control room was opened from Monday. Read: Dengue spike:287 more hospitalized in 24 hrs On Monday, Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation in separate drives filed 27 cases and fined different houses and establishments Tk 8.57 lakh for breeding Aedes larvae in the city. Some 11 mobile courts conducted the drives in Green Road, New Eskaton, Malibagh Bazar, Phool Bagh, West Islambagh, Chawkbazar, Dhalpur, Golapbag, Amulia, Dogar, Kadamtali, South Banasree areas of the city. The DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020. According to official statistics, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019. Read: Dengue alert: CU survey team finds Aedes larvae at 15 spots in Chattogram Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better. The fatalities had almost fallen to zero at one stage, before surging again in 2018, leading to the severe outbreak the following year.

Amid a concerning spike of Aedes mosquito-borne disease, 237 new dengue cases were reported across the country by the health authorities on Sunday morning. The outbreak of dengue fever with more than 100 dengue patients reported daily for more than a week has sparked new worries as the country’s health services are already overburdened with increasing Covid cases and fatalities. Of the new dengue cases, 218 were reported in Dhaka while 19 were from outside the capital, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Also read: Dengue vs. Severe Dengue: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention According to the (DGHS), 862 patients are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country. A vast majority of the dengue patients are from Dhaka as only 34 of them were reported being treated in hospitals outside the capital. Some 2,895 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 2,029 of them have been released after they recovered. The DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020. According to official statistics, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019. Also read: Alarming Dengue surge: 196 more hospitalised in 24 hrs Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better.  The fatalities had almost fallen to zero at one stage, before surging again in 2018, leading to the severe outbreak the following year.

Amid the growing concern over Denuge situation in Bangladesh, authorities reported 75 more new cases in 24 hours until Monday morning. Some 403 patients diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment at different government and private hospitals in the country as of Monday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Of them, 398 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while five others outside Dhaka. Also read: Amid Covid pandemic dengue could worsen: DGHS Some 1,282 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 877 of them have been released after recovery. Bangladesh is seeing the rise in Denuge cases when the Covid situation turned more devastating with the spread of highly contagious Delta variant.   DGHS spokesman and line director, Prof. Dr. Nazmul Islam on Sunday expressed his deep concern regarding dengue, at a regular heath bulletin on coronavirus. Also read: 81 dengue cases reported in 24 hrs: DGHS The situation would continue to deteriorate if those responsible for mosquito control across the country do not try their best by all means, Dr. Nazmul said. He advised the people to be much more aware in preventing dengue. He said, if someone has a fever, they should be tested for dengue as well as corona. And in case of treatment, the medicine must be taken on the advice of a registered doctor. If necessary, one could take treatment by contacting the hotline number of DGHS. A total of 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths were reported in 2020. According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019. Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 when it claimed 93 lives. In the following three years, the fatalities almost fell to zero. However, the mosquito-borne viral infection struck again in 2018, killing 26, and infecting 10,148 people. END/UNB/JN/FH