PM Hasina wants dengue outbreak stopped from piling up with coronavirus

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the officials concerned around the country to take necessary measures in advance to control the mosquito menace ahead of the dengue season.

To prevent an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease amid the coronavirus pandemic in the country, it was necessary to keep the mosquitoes and their breeding in check as soon as possible, she said on Tuesday.

She said there was a possibility that the mosquito menace would start in the summer and the monsoon, and the situation may aggravate further if dengue added to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Considering the current situation, the prime minister urged the local government officials, public representatives and all officials concerned to ensure all preventive measures.

“So, you’ll have to take steps from now on to protect the people from the mosquitoes,” she said.

Her calls came during a videoconference, which she held from her official residence in Dhaka, with the government officials of the country's 64 districts.

The videoconference was held to coordinate the on-going activities to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading further in Bangladesh.

The prime minister's directives about the mosquitoes, however, came after Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor-elect Atiqul Islam briefed about DNCC's steps taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

She also said: "Last night, I heard mosquitoes buzzing when I went to sleep. Take actions to kill mosquitoes immediately." 

She also urged everyone to sleep inside mosquito nets and keep their houses and surroundings clean.

Bangladesh experienced a massive dengue outbreak last year, during which 101,354 people were hospitalized and 179 killed across the country, according to official figures.