Cox’s Bazar-3 lawmaker Lutfor Rahman Kazal has called on city residents to actively destroy breeding grounds of Aedes mosquitoes, rather than relying solely on mosquito-control and cleanliness drives to prevent dengue.
“Dengue is a national crisis that must be tackled through collective efforts. It is not merely a health issue but also a humanitarian and social problem,” he said, stressing the need to increase public participation alongside cleanliness initiatives.
He made the remarks as the chief guest at a meeting on the action plan for a dengue prevention and cleanliness campaign in the hotel-motel zone, held at the Cox’s Bazar Municipality conference room at 3:00 pm on Wednesday.
Kazal said dengue could be kept under control if people destroyed Aedes breeding grounds.
“Awareness must come first. Everyone should keep their yards, homes and surroundings clean,” he said, calling for the combined participation of the municipality, volunteer organisations and residents in tackling dengue.
Cox’s Bazar Municipality administrator Shamim Al Imran chaired the meeting, where representatives of different stakeholders shared their views and raised several issues related to cleanliness and tourism management.
Discussions included timely removal of waste accumulated in Sugandha drains, stopping hill cutting, repairing roads along the beach, installing municipal dustbins at designated locations and improving coordination between the municipality and tourism stakeholders. The meeting also discussed outstanding holding-tax payments.
Municipality administrator Shamim Al Imran said the municipality lacked sufficient modern machinery and equipment to keep drains and other areas clean.
“There is only one excavator for such a large municipality. It is not enough to handle everything. We also have shortages of modern suction trucks and other equipment,” he said.
He added that despite the limitations, the municipality was continuing efforts to keep dustbins, drains and sewerage channels clean regularly.
Following his remarks, Kazal asked the municipality authorities to identify the equipment shortages and prepare a file detailing the requirements. He also assured them that he would send a demi-official letter to the Ministry of Local Government seeking necessary support.
Cox’s Bazar Municipality chief executive officer Adnan Chowdhury, executive engineer Parakram Chakma, assistant engineer Romel Barua, and representatives of the Tour Operators Association of Cox’s Bazar (TOAC), Kitkat Owners’ Association, Restaurant Owners’ Association and Hotel Owners’ Association attended the meeting.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Courtesy
