LGRD Minister Md Tazul Islam, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam, along with other top officials of the city corporation and RAJUK were noticeably perturbed by mosquito bites while inspecting a cleanliness drive along a canal in Dhaka’s Uttara area on Wednesday.

They went to inspect a cleanliness drive at a lake in Uttara Sector-12.

At that time, the minister, the mayor, and other guests on the programme stage were seen itching their bodies due to being heavily bitten by mosquitoes.

Some of them were seen hastily fleeing the spot due to the mosquito bites, said a DNCC official who was present at the location.

During the cleanliness drive, Tazul Islam said that city dwellers are facing torment as the mosquito menace has taken a severe turn here.

“We are all deeply concerned about the Aedes mosquito, as its bites can lead to fatal outcomes for patients,” he said, adding that all public hospitals have already been equipped with the necessary equipment to address the issue.

Mayor Atiqul Islam said people will have to come forward out of their social responsibilities from their respective positions to effectively combat the menace of the Aedes mosquito.

“Water bodies belonging to different government entities such as WASA and RAJUK have turned into mosquito breeding grounds, posing a challenge that the city corporation alone cannot tackle in terms of cleaning and combating mosquitoes.”

Atiqul added, “I’ve asked several times to take over the canal. I’ve told Rajuk, I’ve told Wasa, but no one has responded clearly. If they keep delaying, the people will suffer. The city corporation will clean the canal, no matter how long it takes.”

Asserting that the DNCC is taking action in the hotspot areas, he said, “We must initiate a social movement to safeguard our lives from the adverse impacts of mosquitoes. Social leaders need to engage in discussions with the public within their communities to ensure the cleanliness of their respective areas.”

He also said, “We previously initiated the introduction of BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) bioinsecticide to eradicate mosquito larvae, but unfortunately, the attempt failed due to contractor fraud. Consequently, DNCC is now directly importing BTI. It is expected to arrive within the next two months.”

The procurement process for modern spraying machines (wheelbarrow machines) is also in progress, he added.