Shafiqur slams govt over dengue, demands vaccine availability

Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has criticised the government over its failure to make dengue vaccines available, calling for immediate measures to tackle the outbreak.

“Dengue vaccines exist globally, but our government has not taken any initiative in this regard. If the government cannot import the vaccine itself, it should allow the private sector to bring it in. The government cannot say it will neither bring the vaccine itself nor open the market,” he said.

Shafiqur made the remarks today (4 October) while inaugurating a weeklong dengue-prevention awareness campaign organised by Dhaka North City Jamaat at Madhubagh Field in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel.

Describing dengue as a disaster of “epidemic proportions”, he called for immediate mosquito-control measures and proper treatment for patients.

“People are still dying from measles and dengue seven months into the government’s tenure,” he said, urging the authorities to acknowledge what he described as their failures instead of blaming previous governments.

Jamaat will observe the dengue-prevention campaign nationwide until 10 October. The party said the campaign is being funded by Jamaat and its supporters.

Shafiqur said Jamaat’s Dhaka North unit had already begun cleaning canals and drains, while similar activities were under way in southern Dhaka and would gradually be extended to rural areas.

He also distributed dengue-prevention leaflets and bleaching powder after inaugurating the campaign.

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said the government had been “extremely unsuccessful” in tackling dengue and that hospitals were running out of space for patients.

“The government cannot manage it, so as citizens of the country, we are trying to stand by the people,” he said.