Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon has said the media reporting about the number of people affected by dengue is nothing but rumours.
He said the rumours are being spread through social media in the same manner like kidnapping rumours.
“Some media outlets are saying that 350,000 people are affected by dengue which is completely fictitious and playing politics with mosquitoes is not desirable at all,” he said.
The mayor said this while inaugurating a program titled “Anti-Mosquito and Cleanliness Week” at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka on Thursday.
At the launching event, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam said: “We are promoting the cleanliness campaign to completely eradicate Aedes mosquitos from the country.”
Bangladesh national cricket team player Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was also present at the event. He said: “Let us all come together to create awareness about dengue mosquitoes.”
LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam said the outbreak is under control, just a day after 559 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka alone.
"We have taken it as a challenge and it (dengue) is fully under control ... because all institutions are working together," he said.
The mosquito-borne disease infected more than 8,500 people in 2019 and claimed eight lives, according to official figures.
Tajul stressed that “failure to control dengue” will not become a reality as long as the institutions refuse to give up.
On July 20, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the dengue situation is alarming in Bangladesh, but not out of control.
