It is safe to say that dengue, once thought of as a monsoon affliction, has now broken free of such seasonal boundaries and now continues to affect hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis throughout the year, claiming lives and overwhelming hospitals in every district.
That even official records show infections surpassing 100,000 in 2025, with 412 deaths, tells us that this is a disease we have failed to control.
Yet our response has, unfortunately, remained largely reactive and fragmented in addition to being retrograde and not up to date with the latest measures to control the disease.
While city corporations announce drives, mosquito breeding grounds persist in construction sites, water drums, and neglected corners of our homes. Hospitals getting overwhelmed is now an all-too-familiar reality, yet critical care facilities remain inadequate.
With health experts warning that the virus has adapted, that mosquitoes now bite beyond daylight hours, that strains are more infectious, and the disease is spreading into areas once thought safe, it is time to acknowledge the reality: This is no longer a seasonal inconvenience but a prolonged national emergency.
As 2026 approaches, Bangladesh must confront dengue with the seriousness it has long demanded. To that end, it is prevention and not just treatment that must be the cornerstone of our national strategy.
For this, beyond the usual measures, the most critical component is for the authorities to have the political will and administrative coordination to ensure continuity and accountability.
Dengue is no longer waiting for the rains but is here, at present, and only spreading. The hundreds of lives we lose every year, and the hundreds of thousands that suffer as a result of it, should be proof that we simply can not afford to treat it as a passing nuisance. We must act decisively and stop dengue from becoming a permanent scar on our public health landscape.