Staff Reporter :
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Saturday has hit out at the Plant Protection Wing of Department of Agricultural Extension for obstructing the purchase of mosquito killing insecticides.
Addressing a round table discussion on “Ways of Dengue Control and Prevention” at East West Media Conference room in the Bashundhara residential area in the capital at yesterday afternoon. The programme was arranged yesterday.
The mayor said, “Countries around the world are able to buy and use insecticides. But it’s not possible for us to do so because of a vested interest group.”
“They have hold the whole country hostage. The Plant Quarantine Wing misconstrued a government notice and blocked the import of insecticides,” he commented.
Amid a massive outbreak of dengue this year, a research highlighted the ineffectiveness of the insecticides sprayed by Dhaka’s bifurcated city corporations. The import of pesticides into the country is subject to a clearance from the agriculture department’s plant protection wing.
Dengue specialist Dr ABM Abdullah called for a concerted effort instead of blaming at anyone.
“There’s no use of blame-game. The whole world is experiencing a spread of such diseases due to climate change. No-one can control nature,” he said.
“We need to keep new types of pesticides in the pipeline for use in case of emergency,” said Jahangirnagar University’s botany Teacher Dr Kabirul Bashar.
As the disease has spread across the country, Dr Kabirul recommended implementing year-round ‘special measures’ to contain aedes mosquitoes.
Local Government Minister Tajul Islam has said that Bangladesh has the ability to control dengue.
“We will solve this problem. The government will take the lead. There is nothing to be panic about.”
