United News of Bangladesh

In Naogaon municipality, the relentless rise of dengue cases is exposing a deeper public health crisis, as residents confront swarms of mosquitoes amid longstanding urban sanitation failures. For weeks, communities across the town have battled insects invading homes, schools, businesses and offices—pestering residents even in daylight hours. Coils, sprays and smoke have become everyday essentials, yet the relentless buzzing and painful bites continue. Locals said what was once a seasonal nuisance has transformed into a source of fear, frustration and growing anger at local authorities. Read more: Young adults hit hard as Bangladesh logs 593 dengue cases, 3 deaths A Town on Edge Naogaon Municipality, home to over 268,000 people across nine wards, is facing what locals describe as a preventable mosquito explosion. Open heaps of uncollected garbage, uncovered and clogged drains, and stagnant water turning neighbourhoods into breeding grounds have compounded the crisis. “We close our doors and windows before evening, but it’s useless. Mosquitoes fly over burning coils. Their bites cause swelling and a burning sensation. I spend at least Tk 10 a day on coils, but if this continues, dengue is unavoidable,” said Shamim Ahmed, a resident of Masterpara. Students are among the hardest hit. “Studying has become nearly impossible. I have to sit inside a mosquito net with a coil burning. This is no way to study,” said Arif Hossain from the Degree Mor area. Tax Increasing, Services Declining Residents complain that despite yearly hikes in municipal taxes, improvements in mosquito-control efforts are barely visible. Many allege that fogging and spraying target administrative or high-profile areas, leaving densely populated neighbourhoods neglected. “There’s a municipal waste dump near my house. Mosquito-control activities here are rare. We pay higher taxes every year, but receive no proper services,” said Asfaq Uddin of Komaigari. Read more: Best Foods to Increase Platelets in Dengue Fever Health Risks Growing According to the Naogaon Civil Surgeon’s Office, 56 new dengue cases were reported as of November 23. October saw 120 cases and September 116, bringing the district’s total infections this year to 321. At Naogaon 250-bed General Hospital, 120 dengue patients were treated over the last three months. “No deaths have occurred so far, and we are providing adequate treatment,” said hospital statistician Dilruba Sultana. Nationwide, the situation remains concerning. The DGHS reported two more dengue deaths on Monday, pushing the national toll to 366. With 705 new cases on the same day, the total infections reached 90,969 this year. Local Authorities Admit Limitations Naogaon Municipality Engineer Sajjad Hossain acknowledged the challenges, noting that the municipality has only three fogging machines and three hand-spray units. “For the past two years, we haven’t received dedicated funds for mosquito control. We are running operations using municipal revenue and prioritising hand spraying, as it destroys larvae more effectively,” he said. Read more: 8 more dead, 778 hospitalised as Bangladesh fails to curb dengue

Two new dengue cases were reported on Saturday by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), following a period during which no new cases had been reported and the number of active cases had dropped to nil. The two new patients are currently being treated at a hospital, according to a daily update from DGHS. With them, Bangladesh health authorities have reported 315 dengue cases since the beginning of the year. The previous 313 patients have all been discharged from hospital following full recovery. The country had a massive dengue outbreak last year when 101,354 people were hospitalised and the disease spread outside capital Dhaka. According to official figures, the mosquito-borne disease killed 179 people last year - the most since dengue became endemic in Bangladesh in the early 2000s. Experts warned that Dhaka may witness an even worse outbreak of dengue this year when the presence of Aedes mosquitoes increases dramatically in the monsoon months. So far however that has not played out.   In order to protect the city dwellers from dengue, a special clean-up operation to control Aedes mosquito was launched in all 54 wards of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) from June 6.

No new dengue patient was hospitalised in the last 24 hours till 8 am on Friday, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).