Dengue has escalated into a severe mosquito-borne viral threat in Bangladesh, driven primarily by the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito. The disease can rapidly turn fatal if medical intervention is delayed.
The history of dengue in Bangladesh dates back to 1964, when it was first identified as “Dacca Fever.” However, it transitioned into a regular annual epidemic in 2000. Over nearly three decades, the country has recorded an annual average of about 136 dengue-related deaths. The crisis reached an unprecedented peak in 2023, shattering all historical records with 1,705 fatalities.
Because the virus spreads when an Aedes mosquito bites an infected individual and subsequently transmits it to others, strict vigilance is paramount in transmission hotspots.
Cox’s Bazar, the country’s premier tourist destination, has emerged as a critical area of concern. This vulnerability is further exacerbated by the densely populated Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, where inadequate drainage and acute water scarcity force residents to store water in open containers, creating ideal breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes.
With millions of tourists visiting from all 64 districts annually, the risk of cross-country transmission is immense. If just one tourist from each district contracts dengue in Cox’s Bazar and returns home, the initial chain of transmission could potentially reach 320 people (5 cases × 64 districts). In a secondary wave, that number could rise to 1,600 cases within weeks.
Given Cox’s Bazar’s importance as a national tourism hub, the government must deploy targeted interventions: rigorous anti-mosquito drives, regular larviciding, improved drainage, and enhanced medical surveillance in the Rohingya camps in collaboration with international humanitarian agencies.
State action alone, however, cannot eradicate the dengue menace; the public bears an equal share of civic duty. The responsibility weighs especially on local residents, business owners and tourists, whose awareness directly influences transmission risk.
Citizens must take proactive measures: keeping households and hotel premises clean, ensuring stagnant water does not accumulate, and consistently using bed nets.
Ultimately, environmental hygiene and unified public awareness remain our strongest defense in shielding Cox’s Bazar and the rest of Bangladesh from this deadly epidemic.
By Salam Abu
Editor
