Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will take initiatives to bring dengue vaccines to Bangladesh, with public awareness and community participation also crucial to containing the mosquito-borne disease, Administrator Abdus Salam said on Friday.

“Dengue has become a national crisis. No government initiative will be able to prevent the disease unless people become aware and actively participate in prevention efforts,” he said, according to a press release.

He made these remarks while addressing a shadow parliament debate session titled ‘Public awareness is more important than government initiatives in preventing dengue’ arranged by Debate for Democracy at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) in the city.

He said the government is giving the highest priority to the treatment of dengue patients, adding that the Prime Minister had already issued directives to attach utmost importance to dengue prevention and treatment.

He said the initiative to bring dengue vaccines would be taken forward, saying funding would not be an obstacle.

The DSCC administrator also said he would propose to the Prime Minister that money collected through fines imposed during anti-dengue drives be provided to the families of underprivileged people who die of the disease.

Stressing the need for collective action, he said dengue prevention required both government initiatives and public cooperation.

He also criticised the opposition for not undertaking any visible programs to combat dengue, alleging that its long march was instead causing public inconvenience.

The DSCC Administrator said the ousted Awami government had failed to adequately address dengue prevention and treatment.

He also expressed hope that cooperation between the government and the opposition could help resolve major problems in Dhaka, including those involving street hawkers and battery-powered auto-rickshaws.

Debate for Democracy Chairman Hassan Ahamed Kiron moderated the event.