Last Updated on March 31, 2026 9:23 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh has reported a sharp rise in measles cases this year, with 676 children diagnosed across the country in the first three months, according to data from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The figure marks a steep jump from just nine reported cases during the same period last year and 64 in 2024, reflecting a 75-fold increase over last year and nearly an 11-fold rise from 2024 levels. No official data on deaths linked to the outbreak has yet been released.
DGHS data showed Dhaka division accounting for the highest number of cases at 245, or 36.24% of the total. Rajshahi division reported 137 cases, or 20.26%, followed by Chattogram with 93 cases, or 13.75%. Mymensingh recorded 80 cases, or 11.83%, while Barishal and Khulna each logged 51 cases, or 7.54%. Sylhet reported 13 cases, or 1.92%, and Rangpur had the lowest at six, or 0.88%. In all of 2025, Bangladesh recorded 125 measles cases nationwide.
Health officials said the figures reflect only cases recorded in government hospitals, indicating that the actual number of infections may be significantly higher.
Amid the outbreak, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has ordered an urgent nationwide review after more than 600 cases were reported. Officials said on March 30 that the Prime Minister had directed two senior ministers to travel across the country to assess the scale of the crisis and coordinate response measures, according to a statement from his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Ministry of Health senior official Halimur Rashid, head of the disease control unit, said there have been 674 measles cases across the country this year.
Measles, one of the world’s most contagious diseases, spreads through coughs and sneezes, according to the World Health Organization. Complications can include brain swelling and severe breathing problems. While it can affect people of all ages, children are the most vulnerable.
Bangladesh has made major gains in vaccination against infectious diseases, but a special measles immunisation drive scheduled for June 2024 was delayed because of unrest during the mass uprising that toppled the previous government.
“Regular vaccine drives have been ongoing, only the special campaign drive which was scheduled for June 2024 had to be postponed due to political unrest,” Rashid told AFP, adding that the next campaign would begin in June.
Bangladesh is also facing a shortage of vaccines for at least 10 diseases, including measles, amid a rise in infections, Health Services Division Secretary Quamruzzaman Chowdhury said during a visit to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Monday.
“The government has already paid Tk604 crore to Unicef to procure the vaccines and expects supplies soon,” he said. “Vaccination programmes will resume once the doses arrive.”
He said steps were under way to identify measles-prone areas across the country and strengthen immunity among children. With cases rising, authorities are also considering using other hospitals, including the National Heart Foundation, to treat non-measles paediatric patients.
The secretary said a high-level team of three experts had begun work to determine whether a new variant of measles was affecting children. He added that a 200-bed hospital in Rajshahi, lying unused after construction, would be made operational soon, and that steps would also be taken to address staff shortages at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
Earlier in the day, Chowdhury and DGHS Director General Professor Pravath Chandra Biswas handed over three ventilators to the hospital’s ICU. They also held discussions with department heads and reviewed overall services. The visit came amid criticism over alleged negligence by hospital authorities following child deaths linked to a shortage of ICU ventilators.
Hospital authorities said 34 children were admitted in the past 24 hours with measles symptoms, taking the total number of such cases there to more than 100. Of them, 41 tested positive. A dedicated ward and two paediatric wards have since been converted into measles care units.
Hospital sources said 14 children died from various illnesses between Sunday morning and Monday afternoon. Among them was Fatema, a child from Chapainawabganj, who died after contracting measles.
The WHO estimates that around 95,000 people die from measles globally every year, mostly unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under five, according to its latest available statistics. There is no specific treatment for measles once a person is infected.