Bangladesh's dengue outbreak has worsened sharply, with at least 59 deaths and 17,880 cases reported so far in 2025, according to data from the country's Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Dhaka division has emerged as the worst-affected region, accounting for the largest share of both infections and fatalities.

Regional Breakdown of Cases and Deaths

Dhaka division has recorded 6,871 cases this year, with 4,404 of those concentrated in Dhaka city alone. The division also leads in fatalities, with 26 deaths — 25 of them within Dhaka city.

Barishal division reported the second-highest caseload at 3,647, followed by Chattogram with 3,082 and Khulna with 2,272. On the fatality front, Khulna recorded 12 deaths, while Chattogram and Mymensingh logged 7 and 6 deaths respectively, according to Bangladesh's The Daily Star.

Why Dhaka Remains a Persistent Hotspot

GM Saifur Rahman, Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology at the National University of Bangladesh, said the numbers reflect Dhaka's combination of high population density, persistent Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding, and inadequate vector control measures.

Saifur noted that breeding sites are widespread even in institutional spaces. 'Just a few days ago, while supervising an examination at Central Metropolitan Women's College, I found Aedes mosquito larvae in a small container of water. Such breeding sites are common across the city, indicating that Aedes mosquitoes are reproducing continuously in residential areas,' he was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

He further warned that mosquito control in Bangladesh has been largely reactive. 'The most effective strategy would be to intensify mosquito control during periods when dengue transmission is relatively low. At that time, breeding sites are fewer, and interventions can be more effective. Instead, mosquito control usually intensifies only after the dengue season begins, by which time infections are already increasing rapidly,' Saifur said.

Experts Call for a National Mosquito Control Authority

Saifur argued that Bangladesh's failure to establish an effective, centralised mosquito control mechanism has compounded the crisis. He called for the formation of a national mosquito control authority staffed with expert entomologists to coordinate, monitor, and oversee vector control measures nationwide. 'Until we establish a coordinated national control system, dengue cases are likely to continue rising,' he warned.

This comes amid a broader pattern of dengue escalation across South and Southeast Asia, where rapid urbanisation and inconsistent public health infrastructure have made Aedes mosquito control increasingly difficult.

Peak Season May Extend Into September

Kabirul Bashar, Professor of the Zoology Department at Jahangirnagar University, cautioned that the outbreak's peak may not arrive in August. 'The peak may not occur in August. It's possible that this year's peak will come in September. What we can say is that the upward trend is likely to continue through August and into September,' he said.

With case counts and fatalities still climbing, public health authorities face mounting pressure to shift from seasonal response to year-round, prevention-first vector control — a structural change experts say is long overdue.