The outbreak of Dengue Fever/Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever especially in Dhaka city is no longer remaining a secret. Unofficial report has so far confirmed more than 100 death and over 10.000 affected all over the country. Not only that, the figures are constantly rising every day! My wife and I living in central Dhaka are among those infected with this deadly disease in late July and early August 2000 respectively.

Much before this ugly incident, I noticed the potentially risky breeding ground of Aedes mosquitos located just beside our building "Eastern Homes" at 116 Segun Bagicha and diagonally opposite to the office of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. This is an open ground with surrounding walls and all sorts of dirty materials inside (unscientific and unhygienic fish cultivation in the dirty closed water pocket of a crushed building foundation area, piling up of used automobile tyres, jungle-like plantation all around...) providing ideal breeding ground for deadly Aedes and other water borne diseases.

In late July, I personally advised the people in the area to immediately clean up and stop fishing in the residential area. But who cares! With high fever and while attending my sick wife in the Holy Family Hospital in early August, I reported this matter to Ramna Police Station when the Second Officer and the Officer of the make-shift Segun Bagicha Camp Office have very enthusiastically promised me to take care of the reported breeding place and the associated social criminals. But nothing has really happened! Dhaka City Corporation foggers visited the place during the so-called week long crushing programme in mid August but no crushing took place on the same! What a society we are living in under such crisis and pressing time!

In the backdrop of this unfortunate stalemate, it is high time – better late than never – that both concerned authorities, social/educational/business organisations and above all the conscious educated people of the area do wake up and take firm action against the reported ground and criminals before it is really too late! Otherwise, time will perhaps come when the infected people themselves will take law in their hand and fight for the survival of their own inmates...