Helemul Alam

The Dhaka city corporations seem to have learned little from the past when it comes to controlling Aedes mosquitoes, as early measures were not taken to avert this year’s deadly dengue outbreak, experts say.

As dengue cases continue to increase across the country, Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, like other city hospitals, is struggling with the mounting pressure of patients for the past week.

In a grim trend over the last few days, the number of child dengue patients has shot up in hospitals across the capital.

A total of 7,978 dengue cases were recorded till June this year. The number was only 2,204 for the first six months of 2019, the year Bangladesh witnessed 1,01,354 cases, the highest number of infections in the country so far.

In a worrisome development, the deadly dengue fever has rapidly spread its grip across Bangladesh, reaching 57 districts of the country.

14 deaths recorded in first four days of July

A yet-to-be-released survey carried out by the health directorate gives a worrying picture of the spread of Aedes mosquito -- carrier of the virus responsible for dengue fever -- in Dhaka city.

On July 1, the last day of the Eid holidays, the intermittent rain in the morning followed by an hour-long downpour in the afternoon  submerged several neighbourhoods of Dhaka  in knee- to waist-deep water, effectively washing away  tall claims of monsoon preparedness by the city corporations.

The price of sacrificial animals, especially bulls, at different cattle markets in the capital, saw a slight drop yesterday, compared to the last two days.

With the Eid-ul-Azha just day after tomorrow, the sale of sacrificial animals was poor at the capital’s cattle markets until yesterday evening mainly due to high prices.

Eighteen makeshift cattle markets of two Dhaka city corporations began operating yesterday, with very few buyers.

As many residents are expected to leave Dhaka for the Eid vacation, experts are concerned about the potential increase in dengue breeding grounds that may emerge during this period of vacant households. Without adequate measures in place, the empty houses become potential hotspots for stagnant water accumulation, the ideal breeding habitat for Aedes mosquitoes.

With Eid-ul-Azha being just six days away, lease holders of different cattle haats have started setting up markets on various roads in the capital illegally.

With nine days left for Eid-ul-Azha, Dhaka dwellers have started to visit Gabtali, the city’s permanent cattle market.

The Den-2 and Den-3 variants of dengue are active this year and of the two, Den-2 is more prominent, according to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research.

Climate change, multi-story buildings where cars are kept and washed and the huge number of under-construction buildings, and preserving water in drums or buckets are some of the main reasons for finding dengue cases around the year, said experts.

The number of dengue patients crossed the 1,000 mark in May this year, which is five times higher than the same month in 2019. In 2019, the country saw over 1,00,000 dengue patients, the highest in the country since its first outbreak in Bangladesh in 2000.

City life comes with rapid change. But for the residents of Dhanmondi what didn’t change for long were the trees and plants on the median of Saat Masjid Road. Bursting with blossoms in spring and summer, the krishnachuras and the radhachuras, among other trees, became a part of their lives.

The country has already seen the death of 12 dengue patients before the beginning of the monsoon, while 1,261 others were hospitalised till yesterday. The numbers indicate alarming signs of a massive dengue outbreak this year.

Fire safety in Dhaka’s market buildings is in a very precarious condition, which has increased vulnerabilities for people and properties associated with these markets. The recent fire incidents in Bangabazar and Dhaka New Super Market are testimonies of these harsh realities prevailing in the capital, said Dr Adil Mohammed Khan, executive director of Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), during an interview with The Daily Star yesterday.