A legal notice has been served on the government seeking a high-level scientific investigation into the unusually high dengue mortality in Bangladesh and possible genetic mutations of the virus, including an inquiry into allegations that it could be linked to a covert biological attack.
The notice also demands the establishment of an internationally accredited research laboratory to prevent and investigate biological weapons threats.
Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan Mamun served the notice on Saturday in the public interest.
It was addressed to the secretaries of the ministries of defence, home affairs, health and family welfare, and foreign affairs, as well as the administrators of Dhaka North and South city corporations. A copy was also sent to the United Nations resident coordinator in Bangladesh.
The notice describes dengue as a severe public health crisis rather than a routine illness, arguing that the recurring deaths and growing number of cases warrant investigation beyond conventional mosquito-control measures.
Citing books on biological warfare and medical research, Mamun, who is also studying for a Master of Public Health degree, refers to historical accounts of plans to use disease-carrying insects in biological attacks.
The notice cites The A to Z of Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare (2019), by Benjamin C Garrett and John Hart, which discusses a Japanese military plan during World War II, codenamed “Operation PX”. According to the notice, the plan involved releasing insects carrying pathogens linked to dengue, plague, cholera and typhus along the US coast.
It also refers to Anthony Tu’s book Chemical and Biological Weapons and Terrorism (2018), which the notice says discusses the classification of dengue virus among biological agents considered for weaponisation by the US military.
Another reference is Advances in Biological and Chemical Terrorism Countermeasures (2008), edited by Ronald J Kendall and other experts. The notice cites the publication in support of its concerns about the potential misuse of disease-causing agents.
The notice argues that Bangladesh’s high population density and mosquito prevalence, alongside the reported severity of recent dengue outbreaks, warrant an urgent scientific and forensic investigation. It calls for epidemiologists, virologists and public health specialists to examine the virus’s genetic characteristics, origin and transmission mechanisms to determine whether there is evidence of deliberate or artificial modification.
However, the notice does not present evidence establishing that the dengue outbreak in Bangladesh resulted from a biological attack.
Mamun also cites Bangladesh’s obligations under international law, noting that the country is a signatory to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). He refers to Articles I and X of the convention, which prohibit biological weapons and address the peaceful use of biological science, as well as United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 of 2004, which requires states to take measures against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The notice further invokes Articles 18(1) and 32 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, concerning the state’s responsibility to improve public health and the right to life.
It asks the authorities to arrange an expert-led genetic and forensic investigation into the dengue virus within 10 days to assess whether there is any evidence of an artificial biological attack. It also calls for the immediate establishment of a high-security laboratory for research into biological weapons prevention and comprehensive, science-based measures to control Aedes mosquitoes.
The notice warns that failure to meet the demands could lead to a public interest litigation petition before the High Court Division of the Supreme Court under Article 102 of the Constitution, seeking measures to protect public health, national security and citizens’ lives.