Bangladesh Nationalist Party Health Affairs Secretary Md Rafiqul Islam has said that 24 people have so far died from measles in the country, while around 150 others have died showing symptoms consistent with the disease.
His made the remarks on Sunday afternoon at the inauguration of a measles vaccination programme organized under the Rural Society Development Program in Ward No. 13 of Shantinagar in the capital.
Speaking to journalists, he stated that 24 confirmed measles-related deaths have been reported so far, while deaths involving suspected symptoms have reached approximately 150.
He further said that, alongside the government, the BNP has also taken various initiatives since the outbreak began.
He added that their team visited the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and held a roundtable discussion involving domestic and international experts, with recommendations from the meeting submitted to the government.
Commenting on the reasons behind the rise in measles cases, he pointed to disruptions in vaccination programmes during the previous government’s tenure as a contributing factor to the current situation. In response, he noted that the present government has launched a mass immunization campaign to address the outbreak.
