The dengue situation in Bangladesh is taking a grave turn. Since the beginning of November, both infections and deaths have been rising daily. In the last 24-hour period, from 8:00 am Tuesday to 8:00 am Wednesday, 10 people died of dengue, marking the highest single-day death toll from the mosquito-borne disease this year.
Earlier, on 21 September, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported 12 dengue-related deaths. However, the report clarified that three of those deaths had occurred the previous day, on 20 September. Based on that, the latest 24-hour count marks the highest number of deaths in a single day from Aedes mosquito–borne dengue this year.
With these deaths, the total dengue death toll in 2025 has reached 302.
Public health expert Mushtuq Husain said all these deaths were preventable. “Every single death could have been avoided,” he said. “But instead of decentralising healthcare services, the authorities stuck to outdated approaches. This is tragic. The government was repeatedly warned about this, yet there was no realisation on their part. These deaths are nothing but the consequence of government negligence.”
In the same 24-hour period, 1,069 new patients were hospitalized with dengue, bringing the total number of recorded infections this year to 74,992.
Of the 10 deaths, five occurred in hospitals under the Dhaka South City Corporation, and three in hospitals under Dhaka North City Corporation. The remaining two deaths were reported from Bhola and Khulna.
Among districts in the Dhaka Division, Gazipur recorded the highest number of new cases with 65 infections. The Barishal Division, which has seen the highest overall infection rate this year, recorded 128 new cases in a single day, including 47 in Barguna, the highest in that division.
Public health experts had warned earlier this year that dengue infections could rise sharply. However, government authorities failed to take the warning seriously. From July through October, the country experienced heavy rainfall and warm temperatures, creating ideal conditions for Aedes mosquito breeding.
Yet local government bodies remained largely indifferent to mosquito control, and the DGHS also failed to take sufficient steps to improve diagnosis and treatment facilities.
It was not until October that the DGHS issued a public alert advising that anyone with a fever should be tested for dengue. But beyond this brief advisory, no effective measures were taken to ensure testing was easily accessible or affordable.