Swapan Kumar Singh:

Bangladesh continues to grapple with a worsening dengue outbreak as nine more people died in the past 24 hours, pushing this year’s death toll to 212, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

During the same period, hospitals across the country admitted 1,042 new patients, the highest single-day count reported this year. With this surge, the total number of hospitalisations since January has risen to 49,907.

Most of the recent fatalities were reported in the capital. Dhaka South City Corporation alone recorded seven deaths, while Dhaka North City Corporation and Chattogram Division each confirmed one more death.

Hospital admissions also surged across the divisions, with Dhaka Division topping the list at 201 cases in the past 24 hours. Other divisions reported significant spikes: Dhaka North City Corporation 198 cases, Barishal 195, Dhaka South 121, Chattogram 104, Rajshahi 82, Khulna 72, Mymensingh 41, Rangpur 23, and Sylhet five.

Since the start of 2025, the DGHS bulletin shows the highest number of dengue fatalities occurred in Dhaka South (102 deaths), followed by Barishal (32), Dhaka North (28), Chattogram (25), Rajshahi (10), Mymensingh (7), Khulna (5), and Dhaka Division (3).

Health experts have expressed concern over the record spike in daily hospitalisations, warning that without stronger mosquito-control measures and community awareness, the outbreak may worsen further in the coming weeks.