Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka
Dhaka, Oct 25: Bangladesh reported 2,249 dengue cases in the 24 hours till Sunday morning, the highest single-day tally so far this year, local media reported.
Seven people died of dengue during the same period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). With the latest fatalities, the total number of dengue cases in the country rose to 1,23,948, while the death toll reached 384 in 2026, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
Of the seven new fatalities, two each were reported in the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) area and Mymensingh division, while one each occurred in the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) area, Khulna and Rajshahi divisions.
Among all dengue-related deaths reported in Bangladesh this year, 52.8 per cent were females and 47.2 per cent were males.
According to the DGHS, 1,17,400 dengue patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals across the country, UNB reported.
Last month, Bangladesh State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku warned that the dengue situation in Dhaka and other districts could worsen in the coming months and urged people to remain alert.
"The risk of dengue may increase further in the coming months, so everyone needs to become aware from now," Tuku said, according to UNB.
Meanwhile, health experts have attributed the rising number of dengue deaths to delayed hospitalisation, inappropriate treatment and the increased vulnerability of high-risk groups. Many patients, they said, seek testing and medical care only after their condition becomes critical, Bangladesh's The Daily Star reported.
H.M. Nazmul Ahsan, associate professor at Dhaka's Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, said the recent rise in dengue deaths was largely a consequence of the rapid increase in infections nationwide.
According to Ahsan, three broad categories of factors contribute to the fatalities: viral factors, patient-related vulnerabilities and complications associated with treatment.
Public health expert Mushtuq Husain called for strengthening dengue care through a three-tier healthcare system comprising primary, secondary and tertiary services.