Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s inauguration of the three‑month nationwide dengue prevention and cleanliness campaign is a reminder once again that Bangladesh cannot afford complacency when it comes to the disease.
Dengue continues to claim lives while hospitals remain strained, and the next three months are considered the highest‑risk period. The PM’s message is clear and one that ought to have been heeded years ago: Dengue cannot be controlled by mosquito‑killing drives alone; it requires public awareness, daily vigilance, and collective responsibility.
The campaign’s emphasis on keeping surroundings clean and removing stagnant water every day reflects the core truth of dengue prevention. Aedes mosquitoes breed in small, overlooked pockets of water -- flowerpots, rooftop corners, discarded containers, construction sites, and household drains.
No city corporation, no ministry, and no volunteer force can eliminate these breeding grounds without active participation from residents.
The PM’s call for coordinated field‑level activities involving local administrations, volunteers, students, and community groups recognizes that dengue prevention must be woven into everyday life.
Around 25,000 volunteers have reportedly already joined the campaign, and this sort of intent shown is the kind of energy we need to turn this campaign into a success.
Yet, while weekly visits to homes and establishments will help identify breeding sites and raise awareness, their efforts will only succeed if households respond -- by cleaning regularly, checking rooftops and balconies, clearing drains, and refusing to let water accumulate.
The PM’s directive to intensify awareness campaigns across television, mass media, and social media underscores the urgency of changing public behaviour, not just public policy.
We have continued to struggle with dengue because prevention has often been reactive, triggered only after outbreaks worsen. This campaign must mark a shift toward proactive, sustained action.
Dengue is preventable. Bangladesh must prove that it can prevent it.