Bangladesh is facing a sharp escalation in dengue cases, with 42,590 people hospitalised and 117 deaths recorded since the beginning of 2026, according to the country’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The outbreak has intensified rapidly in recent days. Health authorities reported 1,558 new dengue hospital admissions and four deaths in the 24 hours to September 6, marking the highest number of daily admissions recorded so far this year. The previous daily record was 1,324 admissions.
The latest figures bring the number of people still receiving treatment in hospitals to nearly 3,000, while more than 39,000 patients have been discharged after recovery.
Experts warn of further surge
Health experts have warned that the situation could deteriorate further during September and October as weather conditions remain favourable for the spread of Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit dengue.
Professor Kabirul Bashar, a medical entomologist at Jahangirnagar University, said surveillance and forecasting models indicate that more than 30,000 people could be hospitalised with dengue in September alone if the current trend continues. He warned that the peak of the outbreak may not yet have been reached.
The rapid increase has placed additional pressure on hospitals, particularly in Dhaka, where reports indicate that patients and families are struggling to find available beds as severe cases increase.
Cases spread across Bangladesh
The latest DGHS figures show that new cases are being reported across multiple parts of the country, with particularly high numbers recorded in Khulna, Dhaka and Chattogram divisions as well as the Dhaka North and South city areas.
Bangladesh has experienced repeated dengue outbreaks in recent years. The current surge is renewing concerns about a repeat of the country’s severe 2023 outbreak, which was its deadliest dengue outbreak on record.
The dengue crisis is also putting additional pressure on a healthcare system dealing with a nationwide measles outbreak that has caused hundreds of deaths among children this year, according to health authorities reported by Reuters.
Health experts have called for stronger mosquito-control measures, including the removal of stagnant water where Aedes mosquitoes breed, improved surveillance and targeted measures in areas experiencing rapid increases in cases.
With September expected to remain a high-risk period, health authorities face growing pressure to contain transmission and prevent hospitals from becoming further overwhelmed.
