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Bangladesh Bank has directed banks to launch a special three-month programme to prevent dengue, including weekly cleanliness drives every Saturday to destroy Aedes mosquito breeding grounds.
In a circular issued on Sunday, October 11, the central bank’s Banking Regulation and Policy Department-1 issued five directives to protect bank employees and customers amid a rise in dengue cases across the country.
The circular said dengue infections have recently increased in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, with a significant number of patients being admitted to hospitals every day.
Improper waste disposal, seasonal rainfall, stagnant water and global climate change are contributing to the expansion of Aedes mosquito breeding grounds, it said, stressing the need to destroy breeding sites and raise public awareness.
Under the directives, banks must conduct special cleanliness drives every Saturday over the next three months. Their head offices, branches, sub-branches, agent outlets, training centres and ATM booths, along with surrounding areas, must be kept clean regularly.
Banks have also been instructed to remove potential breeding sites, including discarded flowerpots, unused containers, old tyres and plastic bottles, where water can accumulate.
Roofs, garages, air conditioners, refrigerators, water tanks and kitchens must also be cleaned regularly. Banks must ensure cleanliness at residential facilities built for their employees, in addition to office premises.
The circular further directed banks to arrange regular mosquito-control measures, including the use of insecticides, sprays and mosquito coils in workplaces and surrounding areas.
Banks have also been asked to cooperate with relevant authorities, including municipalities and city corporations, in their efforts to maintain cleanliness in rural and urban areas.
The measures aim to reduce Aedes mosquito breeding and strengthen dengue prevention at banking facilities nationwide.
