Helemul Alam

As authorities concerned have failed to take any visible effective measure so far to control Aedes mosquito outside Dhaka, there is a huge risk of dengue outbreak this year.

While the two Dhaka city corporations often get flak for delay in development and other works or lacking in implementation of plans, a lot of those criticisms would sound rather harsh when one considers that there have been no new recruitment to the city corporations in over eight years -- since Dhaka City Corporation was split in two in 2011 -- and a large number of posts remain vacant.

With the aim to curb the mosquito population, the government is set to modernise the Mosquito Control Department.

While the government plans to restore Shuvadya Canal in Keraniganj with a Tk 1,200 crore project, one of its own departments appeared to be a major obstacle.

Though the U-loop project from Uttara to Saatrasta was undertaken with an aim to ease traffic congestion in Dhaka, it could not be completed over the last three years due to land-related complications.

After a short-lived respite from mosquitoes and dengue, residents of different parts of Dhaka are now again enduring the menace as the number of culex mosquitoes has been on the rise over last few weeks.

It’s dead of night. There’s an eerie silence all around. In the limitless, cloudless sky above, millions of stars can be seen glittering. There’s the constellation and that one in the distant is the Orion -- all seem to be moving in a rhythmic and orderly way -- that too in an almost touchable distance!

Ten days after the Rupnagar gas cylinder blast in Mirpur, 13-year old Bishwajit can barely see in his left eye.

If you go to Motijheel and look for the proverbial “jheel” the financial hub of the capital is named after, you will be disappointed.

Did you know in the early days of the postal system, a “dak harkara” (runner/postman) -- attired in bright uniform with badges, satchel full of mail on his back, armed with a spear for self-defense, a lantern in hand to show the path and jingling bells or bugle to announce his arrival ahead of time -- was the protagonist in mail delivery?

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) is finally set to demolish the 15-storey BGMEA building later this week.

Despite the record spread of dengue fever this year, Bangladesh is yet to form a vector control centre and integrated vector guideline, both of which are essential to control vector-borne diseases.

Though the number of dengue patients has been declining for the last one month, the rain for the last one week is increasing the risk of further dengue spread, experts say.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has launched a survey in seven districts to measure the density of Aedes mosquito there.

For the last five months, Arabiya Afifa, a preschool student in Gandaria, has to walk for around 40 minutes on Dinanath Sen Road every day to go to and return from her institution.

Abdul Motaleb had never been a fan of wristwatches. Then again, watches were more of a luxury for the 75-year-old street vendor, which may have compelled him not to wear any.

The number of dengue infected patients outside Dhaka has seen a sharp rise this year, and in many cases the disease was transmitted locally -- becoming a matter of serious concern.

Cumilla resident Billal Hossain was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in a critical condition after being stabbed by an auto-rickshaw driver recently.

Sobita, a nurse at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital is now handling more than 10 times the patients she used to at her previous job at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital.

The number of dengue patients this month surpassed the combined total of such patients in the last 19 years with experts warning about further spread of the virus in the next two months.