BNP asks health minister, Dhaka mayors to quit over dengue

The BNP has demanded resignation of Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Dhaka Mayors Atiqul Islam and Mohammad Sayeed Khokon taking responsibilities for their “failure” to prevent an outbreak of dengue.

Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir raised the demand following a meeting of the party’s policymaking body the National Standing Committee on Monday after the government reported record number of dengue cases.

The ruling Awami League, seeking coordination among Zahid, Atiqul and Khokon, is launching a cleanup drive by activists across Bangladesh to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease as it has already hit 50 districts, more than two-thirds of the counrty.

“We have been following with frustration and anger that the government has made a mess out of the dengue crisis as the disease has spread like an epidemic across the country,” Mirza Fakhrul said.

He slammed Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul and Dhaka South Mayor Khokon for their “unrealistic” comments on the issue “instead of taking steps to kill mosquitos”.

“They are brushing the crisis aside as rumours one day while admitting that they have failed after trying their best the other day,” the BNP leader said.

“And they are only talking, not working. They have totally failed to kill mosquitos. We demand that they resign taking responsibilities for their failure,” he said.

“We also demand resignation of the health minister for his failure to monitor the situation and take effective measures after it started,” he added.

Mirza Fakhrul said the opposition party has taken up a programme to raise awareness among the people against dengue by distributing leaflets.

At another programme earlier in the day, senior Awami League leader and former health minister Mohamed Nasim urged Zahid to sit with Atiqul and Khokon to find ways out of the dengue situation as soon as possible.

He also suggested a combined drive across the country to eliminate Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that transmits dengue virus from patients.

Former food minister Qamrul Islam also criticised the two mayors for “not taking precautionary measures to prevent the situation from developing."

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, while launching a party initiative to destroy breeding places of mosquitos in the neighbourhoods, said the two mayors were asked to do whatever necessary to kill mosquitos.

He called for calm in response to criticisms of the mayors, saying they can make a slip of the tongue like all other humans.