Last year, Bangladesh recorded 102,861 dengue cases and 413 deaths, following 101,214 infections and 575 deaths in 2024.
The dengue threat comes as the country deals with one of its worst measles outbreaks in decades. Since mid-March, more than 100,000 suspected cases and over 10,000 confirmed infections have been reported, with the death toll exceeding 700, putting added pressure on an already fragile healthcare system.
Heavy rainfall, warm temperatures and high humidity have created ideal conditions for dengue transmission, while mosquito control efforts have not kept pace with the growing threat, Bashar said.
He urged the government to set up a nationwide early warning system to help identify mosquito breeding areas and rising hotspots, so authorities can respond faster and warn communities before outbreaks worsen.
“The window to contain the outbreak is narrowing,” he said.
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