Over 10,296 dengue cases and 42 confirmed deaths were recorded in the country between January and June this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), with health experts warning of a potentially devastating season ahead if urgent measures are not taken.
The mosquito-borne disease, which had shown signs of subsiding earlier in the year, surged dramatically in June.
In January, there were 1,161 hospitalisations and 10 deaths. The numbers dropped to 374 cases and 3 deaths in February, and 336 cases with no deaths in March. However, the situation worsened in April with 701 infections and 7 fatalities.
May saw 1,773 cases and 3 deaths, followed by a fivefold increase in June, which recorded 5,951 hospital admissions and 19 confirmed deaths.
June alone now accounts for more than half of all dengue cases in 2025 so far, and nearly half of the total death toll — a trajectory that closely mirrors past outbreak patterns.
Although the current figures remain below the catastrophic levels of 2023, the accelerating pace of infections is raising serious concern. That year, Bangladesh experienced its worst-ever dengue outbreak, with 321,017 hospitalisations and a staggering 1,705 deaths — both all-time highs. In comparison, 2022 saw 281 deaths and 62,382 hospital admissions.
In previous years, the country managed to keep the annual caseload relatively low, with only 10,148 cases in 2018. However, the number surged to 101,354 in 2019 before plummeting to 1,405 in 2020, largely due to pandemic-related restrictions. Since then, the trend has climbed steadily, with 28,429 cases in 2021 and 101,211 in 2024.
Public health authorities say they are stepping up efforts to curb the spread of the disease. City corporations and the DGHS have reportedly intensified fogging and larvicide spraying in dengue-prone areas, while awareness campaigns are being promoted through various media channels. However, experts warn that these interventions are often delayed and poorly coordinated.
They also note that mosquito control efforts typically ramp up only after case numbers begin to rise, rather than being implemented preventively. The increasing mosquito density since April, exacerbated by monsoon rains and poor drainage in urban areas, has created ideal breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes — the vector responsible for dengue virus transmission.
Community participation in eliminating stagnant water — the primary breeding source — has also been inconsistent, compounding the problem. Weak disease surveillance and delayed responses have further heightened the risk of a repeat of previous outbreaks.
With the monsoon season underway and the transmission peak expected in the coming months, health officials fear the situation could deteriorate rapidly. Experts are calling for proactive and sustained action to prevent another year of avoidable deaths. The current data, they warn, should serve as an early alarm — not a retrospective statistic.
