United News of Bangladesh

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury on Wednesday said the process of selecting a site for a proposed 1,000-bed hospital in Sylhet has begun, with Chinese investors expressing interest in financing the project. The minister made the remarks after visiting several locations, including Sadapathor and the Hi-Tech Park area in Companiganj upazila, along with a delegation of Chinese investors to assess potential sites and conduct a feasibility review for the hospital project. He said discussions are underway with the Chinese investors regarding the hospital’s preliminary planning and site selection. According to the minister, the project, once implemented, is expected to bring significant improvements to healthcare services in the region. Chinese investors have recently expressed interest in constructing a modern 1,000-bed hospital in Sylhet Speaking on behalf of the Chinese delegation, Steward Cheong, Chairman of Bai Up Investment Limited, said the investors were optimistic following their initial site visits and feasibility assessment. Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Sarwar Alam and other government officials were present during the visit.

Bangladesh recorded 309 deaths from measles and related symptoms in May alone while six more children died in 24 hours till 8:00am on Tuesday, pushing the overall death toll to 594 since mid-March, according to official data. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has classified the latest casualties as suspected. With the latest figure, the total number of suspected measles deaths has reached 504, while the confirmed deaths remained the same at 90, it added. Bangladesh records 3 more suspected measles deaths A total of 1,292 suspected measles cases were recorded in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, taking the overall suspected cases to 73,362. During the same period, 42 new confirmed measles cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 9,136. Since March 15, a total of 59,106 suspected measles patients were hospitalised, of whom 54,812 have recovered, according to the DGHS data.

The government has directed private hospitals across the country to provide free treatment to dengue patients in at least 10 percent of their beds, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain on Tuesday. “Under the new directive, private hospitals will reserve 10 percent of their beds for dengue patients and waive doctors' consultation fees for those receiving treatment. Patients will only have to bear the costs of medicines and meals,” the minister told reporters after a meeting on dengue prevention and preparedness. Besides, private hospitals have been asked to offer discounts of up to 80 percent on diagnostic tests for dengue patients, he said. Meanwhile, all private hospitals must submit detailed information to the Health Ministry within the next three days including the number of beds allocated for dengue patients, the stock of saline and other essential fluids, and their future procurement plans. Regarding dengue vaccination, the minister said although dengue vaccines are being used in some countries they have not yet gained universal acceptance. "Bangladesh will not launch a dengue vaccination programme immediately without consulting international organisations and experts," he said, adding that discussions will be held with the World Health Organization and UNICEF and other relevant bodies before any decision is taken in this reagard. The minister also sought cooperation from the media and private hospitals in raising public awareness about dengue prevention. He also urged television channels to broadcast dengue awareness messages during programme breaks and asked city corporations to intensify drives to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds in abandoned toilets and other places where water accumulates. Punitive measures, including mobile court actions, would be taken against individuals who fail to maintain cleanliness and allow mosquito breeding, he warned. "Dengue prevention is not the responsibility of the government alone, it is a collective responsibility. Like Covid-19 pandemic, everyone must work together to tackle the challenge,” said the minister. Besides, coordinated efforts involving doctors, nurses, hospital owners, media outlets and local administrations would be crucial to keeping the dengue situation under control, he added. The minister also said the government would directly contact patients to monitor whether hospitals are providing the announced facilities and services. A nationwide awareness campaign will be held and rallies would be held simultaneously at 10 am on Saturday in Dhaka North City Corporation, Dhaka South City Corporation, all divisional headquarters and district towns, he said. The campaign, which will continue for three months, will include public announcements, media advertisements, community meetings and courtyard gatherings aimed at mobilising public participation in dengue prevention, he added. Bangladesh on Monday recorded a sharp rise in dengue infections, with one more death and 110 new patients admitted to hospitals across the country in the last 24 hours.

Two more children undergoing treatment with measles-like symptoms have died in Faridpur, raising the death toll linked to the outbreak at Faridpur Medical College Hospital to 20, officials said on Tuesday at 8:00 am. Hospital sources said seven-month-old Ayan, son of Barkat from Chandipardi area of Muksudpur upazila in Gopalganj, was admitted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital on June 1 with symptoms consistent with measles. He later died while receiving treatment. In a separate incident, Adiba, the two-year-old daughter of Rafsan from Lakshipur area of Faridpur Sadar upazila, also died after being admitted to the hospital with similar symptoms. According to the Faridpur Civil Surgeon’s Office, 54 new patients were admitted to hospitals across the district in the past 24 hours. Currently, 190 patients are receiving treatment at government health facilities. Faridpur Civil Surgeon Dr. Mahmudul Hasan said the number of infections has increased somewhat as many people have returned to their village homes from different parts of the country during the Eid holidays. “However, we are hopeful that the situation will improve within the next one to one-and-a-half weeks and the number of patients will begin to decline,” he said. Urging parents to remain vigilant, he advised them to seek immediate medical attention if children develop symptoms of measles and ensure hospitalization when necessary. Dr. Hasan said health authorities have intensified awareness campaigns alongside vaccination efforts to contain the spread of the disease. He stressed the importance of ensuring that children receive the measles-rubella vaccine on schedule.

Bangladesh on Monday recorded a sharp rise in dengue infections, with one more death and 110 new patients admitted to hospitals across the country in the last 24 hours. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the latest fatality raised the dengue death toll this year to six. The deceased was reported from Khulna City Corporation (KCC), the DGHS said. With the latest admissions, the total number of dengue cases reported in the country this year reached 3,307. DGHS data shows that 62.6 percent of this year’s dengue patients are male, while 37.4 percent are female.. According to DGHS records, Bangladesh reported 102,861 dengue cases and 413 dengue-related deaths in 2025.

Dhaka ranked 13th among the world’s most polluted cities on Sunday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 96 at 10:50am. The air quality was classified as “moderate”, indicating it may pose a mild risk for a very small number of unusually sensitive individuals, such as people with asthma or respiratory conditions, according to the AQI scale. Johannesburg of South Africa, Kinshasa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Santiago of Chile occupied the first, second and third spots with AQI scores of 170, 161 and 156, respectively. According to AQI standards, a reading between 101 and 150 is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups”, 151 and 200 “unhealthy”, 201 and 300 “very unhealthy”, while levels above 301 are deemed “hazardous”, posing serious health risks. The AQI, which provides daily updates on air quality, indicates how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health impacts. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around 7 million deaths globally each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. 

While families across Bangladesh celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with festivity and togetherness, the atmosphere is starkly different in the children's wards of hospitals, where many young patients are spending the holiday battling measles instead of enjoying the occasion. For these children and their families, Eid has brought anxiety rather than celebration. New clothes remain unworn, family gatherings have been missed, and parents have traded festive preparations for long hours beside hospital beds. The ongoing measles outbreak has continued to fill paediatric wards across the country, with new patients being admitted every day.

Eight more children died from measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours until 8:00 am on Saturday, taking the total death toll to 583 since March 15. The deaths were classified as suspected measles-related cases, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Among the suspected deaths, the highest number (three) was reported in the Dhaka Division. With these deaths, the total number of suspected measles-related deaths has reached 493, while the number of confirmed deaths from measles remains unchanged at 90, it said. According to DGHS data, a total of 1,033 suspected measles cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the overall number of suspected cases to 69,612. During the same period, 53 new confirmed measles cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 8,996. Since March 15, a total of 55,705 suspected measles patients have been hospitalized, of whom 52,050 have recovered.

Two more infants died from measles-like symptoms at the isolation ward of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) over the past 24 hours till Saturday morning, raising the total number of such deaths at the hospital to 43 this year. During the same period, 38 new patients were admitted to the isolation ward, bringing the total number of children currently undergoing treatment there to 116. Due to a shortage of beds, many patients are being accommodated on the hospital floor and in corridors, said Associate Professor Dr Mohammad Golam Mawla, focal person of the ward. The latest two victims were boys who had been admitted to the hospital with symptoms consistent with measles. According to Dr Mawla, the four-month-old infant from Purba Jhinair area of Kishoreganj was taken to hospital on May 22 with measles symptoms. Despite receiving treatment, the child died on May 29 from post-measles pneumonia and respiratory failure. The other infant, aged three-and-a-half months, was admitted on May 25 from Akua area of Mymensingh Sadar upazila with similar symptoms. He also succumbed to post-measles pneumonia and respiratory failure on May 29 despite medical intervention. Dr Mawla said a total of 1,708 children have been admitted to the hospital with measles-like symptoms since March 17, 2026. Of them, 1,549 have been discharged after recovery, while 43 have died.

Five more children died from measles and similar symptoms in Bangladesh in the 24 hours till 8:00am on Thursday, bringing the total death toll to 565 since March 15, 2026. Of the new deaths, five were confirmed as measles-related while no one classified as suspected, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Among the suspected deaths, the highest five were reported in Dhaka division. With these, the total number of confirmed deaths from measles has risen to 88 while suspected deaths have reached 477. According to DGHS data, a total of 826 suspected measles cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the overall suspected cases to 67,905. During the same period, 51 new confirmed measles cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 8,885. Since March 15, a total of 54,188 suspected measles patients were hospitalised, of whom 50,926 have recovered.