Aedes larvae to be destroyed in three-month drive: State Minister

The government will launch a three-month nationwide campaign on September 12 to destroy Aedes mosquito larvae and intensify cleanliness drives as part of efforts to curb dengue, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam said.

The campaign will run through September, October and November, a period when Aedes breeding and dengue infections typically increase, the minister said at a press briefing following an emergency meeting at the Secretariat on Wednesday (September 9).

Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the programme at 9am on September 12 at the South Plaza of Parliament. District and upazila councils will join the launch virtually through Zoom, according to the minister.

Under the campaign, special drives will be conducted in upazilas, unions, municipalities and metropolitan areas to eliminate Aedes breeding grounds and clear accumulated waste.

Schools, colleges and madrasas will also hold weekly cleanliness drives every Saturday, with teachers and students cleaning their respective campuses and surrounding areas. City corporations and municipalities will continue their regular sanitation activities alongside the special campaign.

The minister said dengue cases were particularly high in Khulna, Mymensingh, Dhaka and Chattogram, with Barishal also reporting a significant number of patients, especially in Pirojpur. Sylhet and Rangpur had very few cases, while Rajshahi had reported some infections.

He said adequate saline and dengue testing kits were available for patient care.

The government has also intensified public awareness efforts, with electronic billboards now showing dengue-prevention videos two to three times an hour. The prime minister has urged wider awareness campaigns through television, newspapers and social media, the minister said.

The three-month programme follows a meeting chaired by the prime minister on September 7 to review measures for preventing dengue.