Published : 27 May 2026, 05:43 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:47 PM
The Eid-ul-Azha exodus has begun, with up to 11.5 million people leaving Dhaka, and experts fear the mass movement could fan the flames of an already raging measles outbreak.
According to the latest Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) bulletin on Tuesday, the country currently has 66,023 suspected measles patients.
The virus and related complications have claimed the lives of 555 children since Mar 15.
A vaccination campaign has been running since Apr 20, but the daily toll of child deaths has kept everyone on edge.
Against this backdrop, experts have pointed to the absence of any measles travel advisory as a sign of indifference on the part of the authorities.
The DGHS, however, says it has been running public awareness campaigns for some time and that issuing a specific travel warning could create panic.
Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh Secretary General Md Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury told news agency United Nation of Bangladesh (UNB) that the number of travellers could dip if adverse weather prompts some to cancel or delay their journey.
According to the latest DGHS bulletin on Tuesday, the country currently has 66,023 suspected measles patients.
The virus and related complications have claimed the lives of 555 children since Mar 15.
Transmission Risks Loom
The main phase of the measles vaccination campaign ran from Apr 20 to May 20, covering more than 18.4 million children and exceeding the target by two percent.
Work is continuing to reach children who were missed.
Public health and paediatric experts, however, point out that it takes four to six weeks after vaccination for a child's body to build antibodies.
The Eid travel rush began just one week after the campaign ended on May 20, which is exactly what has them worried.
Mirza Md Ziaul Islam, director of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, said 111 children were admitted to the hospital's 114 dedicated beds as of 8am, with more arriving as the day wore on.
On the risk during Eid, he said any infected child out in public or on the road could spread the measles virus to those around them.
"If a child has measles symptoms right now, it is better not to travel for Eid, because it can spread to other children. Even after vaccination, it takes four to six weeks for antibodies to form. Eid travel should have been kept to a smaller scale this year," he added.
Public health expert Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed says the lack of any travel advisory is a sign of "apathy”.
Measles could spread further during Eid in two ways, the former director of the DGHS disease control unit said.
Children moving from cities to villages could contract the infection, while infected returnees may pass it on, as weaker rural healthcare increases mortality risks, he added.
On vaccine effectiveness, public health and immunisation expert Dr Tajul Islam E Bari said maternal antibodies could partly interfere with how well the measles vaccine works in very young children.
Effectiveness at six months stood at around 50 percent, rising to about 85 percent at nine months, 90 percent at 12 months, 95 percent at 15 months and up to 97 percent between four and six years of age.
Experts’ Advice for Eid Travel
Health experts advised parents of children showing measles symptoms to stay at home to prevent prolonging the current peak infection phase.
Mushtaq Husain, former chief medical scientific officer at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) said urban children could catch the virus in villages, while infected children from cities could spread it to rural communities.
"Children with measles symptoms must be isolated. Hand washing and cough hygiene are essential. The best approach is to limit movement to after Eid prayers and avoid large gatherings as much as possible," he added.
Asif Haidar, administrative officer at DNCC Dedicated Covid-19 Hospital in Mohakhali, said children with measles symptoms should not be taken anywhere during Eid.
"Measles is so highly contagious that it can spread rapidly to many healthy children. If an infected child travels for Eid, the risk multiplies many times over.”
DHGS Director General Prabhat Chandra Biswas said instructions have been sent to medical centres for the holidays.
He defended the decision not to issue travel warnings, saying it could create panic, adding that the situation will worsen if people ignore basic precautions despite knowing the risks.
