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The government will launch a three-month nationwide cleanliness and dengue prevention campaign on September 12 to curb the spread of dengue across Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally inaugurate the campaign, titled “Nationwide Dengue Prevention and Cleanliness Drive 2026,” at 9am on Saturday from the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad.
Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam announced the programme at a press briefing on Wednesday following an urgent meeting at the Secretariat on preparations for National Dengue Prevention Day.
He said dengue cases typically rise in September, October and November as Aedes mosquito breeding increases during these months.
According to figures presented at a recent meeting, 137 people have died from dengue across the country since January this year, while around 2,700–2,800 patients have been hospitalised or are currently receiving treatment.
The government has prepared five dedicated beds for dengue patients at district-level hospitals, while treatment facilities at specialised hospitals are being strengthened as needed.
However, the state minister said the government’s main focus is to eliminate Aedes breeding sites and prevent transmission rather than relying solely on treatment.
The three-month campaign will run until December 12, with cleanliness drives held every Saturday across the country. The programme will be implemented at upazila, union, municipality and metropolitan levels, targeting Aedes breeding grounds as well as general waste and garbage.
Volunteers from Scouts, BNCC, the Department of Disaster Management, educational institutions, Red Crescent, Rover Scouts and BD Clean, along with city corporation sanitation workers, will take part. Activities will begin simultaneously in all 64 districts and 503 upazilas under the leadership of deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahi officers.
Educational institutions will also join the weekly campaign. Every college, high school and madrasah will organise cleanliness drives in designated areas every Saturday with teachers and students. Potential sites include drains, ponds, canals, playgrounds and public walkways.
The government has also begun broadcasting dengue and Aedes prevention videos on electronic billboards in metropolitan areas several times an hour to raise public awareness.
A national committee has been formed to coordinate the inaugural programme, with Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdur Salam as convener and Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Milton as joint convener.
The committee includes officials from the Information Ministry, Cabinet Division, Health Services Division, Disaster Management Department, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, BNCC, Red Crescent, Scouts and the two city corporations.
The Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, Abdus Sattar, will serve as an adviser to the national committee, while the Information Ministry and Information Department will coordinate publicity efforts with the administration.
