Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan on Monday urged city dwellers to remain vigilant and actively participate in dengue prevention efforts during the monsoon, stressing that it cannot be controlled without public involvement.

“It is not possible to control dengue without the active participation of citizens,” he said, calling on residents to keep their surroundings clean and remove stagnant water from homes, yards, flower pots, buckets and other containers to prevent the breeding of Aedes mosquito.

The DNCC administrator came up with the call while talking to reporters after attending a programme held at the Nagar Bhaban in Gulshan-2.

He also urged people to support the ongoing special campaign titled “Saturday’s commitment – let us clean our own homes.”

Earlier in the day, Safiqul Islam handed over cheques for over Tk 92 lakh to 731 students as educational scholarships under the DNCC's Education and Merit Scholarship Policy-2017.

Speaking at the programme as the chief guest, he said the scholarship programme is being carried out regularly to promote education and nurture students’ talent.

The initiative aims to support meritorious students from low-income families and help them continue their education, he said.

Safiqul Islam also encouraged students to prepare themselves as skilled human resources in different professions.

Presiding over the programme, DNCC Chief Executive Officer Mohamad Ashaduz Zaman said the scholarship programme is running under the 2017 policy guidelines.

He said while 69 students received scholarships last year, the number has increased to 731 this year.