Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has directed authorities to intensify cleanliness drives and public awareness campaigns across the country with greater involvement of citizens to prevent the spread of dengue.

He issued the directive at a meeting on the dengue situation and measures to tackle it held at the Secretariat on Sunday.

At the meeting, the prime minister stressed increasing public participation in dengue prevention instead of relying solely on government agencies. He called for greater awareness among people about keeping their homes and surroundings clean, removing stagnant water, clearing waste and preventing the creation of mosquito breeding grounds.

Tarek Rahman also instructed authorities to involve Disaster Management volunteers, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Rover Scouts and Red Crescent workers in cleanliness and awareness activities.

He said cleanliness campaigns should be conducted by involving local communities through these groups.

The meeting also emphasized strengthening treatment facilities and patient-management capacity at upazila-level hospitals for dengue patients. The issue of providing mosquito nets for hospitalized dengue patients was also discussed to reduce the risk of the disease spreading through mosquitoes that bite infected patients.

The prime minister placed particular emphasis on implementing the decisions taken at the meeting, saying their impact must be visible at the field level.

Stressing that prevention should receive the highest priority in tackling dengue, he directed the relevant authorities to work in a coordinated manner. He also called for extensive awareness initiatives to ensure greater public participation in cleanliness activities.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, Health and Family Welfare State Minister MA Muhit, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Health Affairs Dr SM Ziauddin Haider, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Abdus Salam, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Shakirul Islam Khan, and secretaries and senior officials from the relevant ministries and departments attended the meeting.