Aedes mosquito-borne dengue appears to be on its course to wreak havoc in Bangladesh again this year as the viral infection rate is higher than normal even in the early days of spring.
In no year since 2008, when the Health Services started recording month-wise dengue infection data, we did see so many cases in January and February like this year that already recorded 241 dengue cases.
Even in 2019 — a year which witnessed the deadly dengue menace did not see such an outbreak like February.
A mosquito survey recently carried out by the Health Services has already found the presence of aedes mosquitoes in nearly one hundred per cent areas of the capital even in the lean season of December. The early situation signals a grave year ahead.
A mosquito survey recently carried out by the Health Services has already found the presence of aedes mosquitoes in nearly one hundred per cent areas of the capital even in the lean season of December. The early situation signals a grave year ahead.
Dengue usually appears in Bangladesh in the post-monsoon period of September and October, though the infection in 2019 had started from summer. Against this backdrop, the weaknesses in the country’s health system came in the spotlight in the year as the nation endured the worst dengue outbreak since 2000, the year the viral fever was first reported in Bangladesh.
The latest mosquito survey results, disclosed before officials of the city corporations by the Health Services on Sunday, showed that aedes mosquitoes were found in 95 per cent of the places in the capital.
During the 10-day Health Services survey in the second half of December in the capital’s 98 wards, 130 adult aedes mosquitoes were caught in 137 traps set across the surveyed area where investigators visited 1,000 households for other data.
The newly-elected mayors and councillors of the two Dhaka cities have been asked by government high-ups to pay special attention in checking mosquitoes, particularly aedes, so that the insect cannot ‘eat up’ their votes.
The city mayors have not been elected by city voters and nobody knows it best than the mayors themselves. We see no reason why should they work honestly for the voters who did not choose them. Anti people farcical elections at national and local levels have made the whole electoral system of government anti-people most logically.
Even if we forget the threat of dengue crisis on the way, we find Dhaka City Corporations are the most inactive bodies for keeping the capital city clean and tidy. The Dhaka city is one of the most careless and neglected cities in the world.
Everywhere the city dwellers find filth and dust. The parts of the city centre are encroached by the slum dwellers. Most of the footpaths are unprepared for public use. The hawkers use them as market places. There is no discipline on the roads.
Nobody knows where to find the Ward Commissioners to know what they do. Whoever holds any position or power he behaves like a small monarch under big monarch.
The unelected and untrusted people cannot be trusted to do honest jobs. From the day one of their holding position of money and power, they understand that their job is looking after their own interest and the interests of those who put them in their positions.
They are politically appointed to serve the current politics of fear and corruption. The major business of anti-election politics is to make money and serve their leaders.
We have to see to believe that the newly appointed Mayors of Dhaka City Corporations work diligently and sincerely for improving the quality of life of the people of Dhaka city. Dhaka is perhaps the most mismanaged and filthy capital of the world.
