How Dhaka’s poor urban planning is fuelling dengue crisis

Over the past few months, dengue has become a major public health concern, resulting in more than 250 reported deaths this year, so far. 

The highest number of deaths this year was recorded in September — more than 15,000 were affected, and at least 71 people died. However, even before the end of October, hospitals have admitted more dengue patients than in the previous month, and the number of fatalities is also nearing that of the last month. 

Public health experts warn that the situation is unlikely to improve in November and December; rather, the number of cases may continue to rise. 

This suggests that the current wave of infections may persist and extend into the new year, reducing the chances of the country being free from dengue outbreaks any time soon.

Earlier this year, the number of cases increased but started to fall from March. The trend changed again in April when infections began to rise sharply. At that time, experts had already expressed concern that the outbreak could worsen this year.

As of now, the total number of dengue patients in 2025 has exceeded that of the same period last year.

From January to 28 October, more than 67,464 people have been infected across the country and at least 273 lives have been lost, according to the dengue dashboard of the DGHS. Within Dhaka's two city corporations alone, over 18,000 people have been affected — nearly 28% of the total cases. The capital also accounts for around 63% of the total death counts. 

"In Dhaka, we lack a scientific master plan for city development. Unplanned urbanisation is one of the major reasons why dengue has become such a persistent problem. At least half of the dengue cases are related to poor urban planning. For example, when water supply is irregular, people store water at home, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes."

KABIRUL BASHAR, MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGIST AND PROFESSOR OF ZOOLOGY AT JU

These numbers reveal a troubling trend: Dhaka alone is responsible for a sizable portion of the total affected patients and deaths.

What makes the capital so vulnerable? And why is it so hard to control it in the capital?

The answer lies not only in mosquitoes but in the city itself, according to entomologists and urban planners.

Dhaka, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, is a dense mosaic of concrete, traffic, and tangled electric lines. The city's rapid and often unplanned expansion has created an environment where Aedes aegypti, the primary carrier of the dengue virus, thrives.

Kabirul Bashar, a medical entomologist and professor of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University, noted that many reasons are accountable for the city being vulnerable to dengue. However, poor planning of the city is one of the key reasons behind it.

"In Dhaka, we lack a scientific master plan for city development. Unplanned urbanisation is one of the major reasons why dengue has become such a persistent problem. At least half of the dengue cases are related to poor urban planning," he said.

"For example, when water supply is irregular, people store water at home, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes," he added.

"When parking spaces are used for car washing, water gets stagnant in basements. When waste is dumped between congested buildings, rainwater accumulates in small containers, becoming ideal sites for Aedes mosquitoes."

Alongside poor or often absent proper urban planning, Dhaka's unbearable population density has made matters worse, creating ideal conditions for the mosquito-borne disease to spread rapidly. 

The sheer number of people living in close quarters makes proper waste disposal and drainage management nearly impossible, according to Professor Bashar.

Adil Mohammed Khan, a professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University and the president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), also raised similar concerns.

He pointed out that dengue spreads most rapidly in unclean and poorly managed environments, that is, places where waste piles up, water stagnates, and hygiene is neglected.

"This unclean environment is closely linked to weak waste management and poor urban planning," he explained.

In many parts of Dhaka, residential buildings have sprung up haphazardly, often in areas that were never designed for habitation. "The spaces between buildings are extremely narrow, leaving no room for organised waste disposal," Professor Khan said.

"Garbage piles up between houses and stays there because there is no effective community-based collection system. These spots then become breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes."

He added that plastic waste plays an increasingly harmful role. "When plastic containers are not properly collected, they trap rainwater, creating ideal mosquito habitats. Similarly, waterbodies around the city are choked with water hyacinths, preventing proper water flow and creating stagnant pools that help mosquitoes breed."

Then there is the issue of temperature. As concrete spreads and green spaces vanish, the city experiences what experts call the "urban heat island effect." Professor Khan noted that higher temperatures create a favourable environment for mosquito survival and reproduction.

"When poor waste management, stagnant water, plastic pollution, and rising urban heat come together, they collectively accelerate the spread of dengue," he said. "Ultimately, this combination of issues allows dengue to take on the scale of an epidemic."

As the year draws to a close, the numbers show no sign of slowing. The city continues to expand, often without regard for space, drainage, or waste.

Experts believe that without addressing the city's structural and environmental weaknesses, short-term control measures will continue to fall short.

Professor Bashar pointed out that this pattern of urban life has normalised mosquito breeding. "Unplanned urbanisation is not the only cause of dengue, but it is one of the most significant," he said. "If it were the only factor, a planned city like Singapore would not face outbreaks. But poor planning here plays a major role in making the problem worse."

To address the issue, he described four approaches that can make dengue control more effective — environmental management, biological control, chemical control, and community participation.

The last of these, he stresses, is critical. "The City Corporation cannot visit every household. It is up to residents to ensure that their own spaces are free of potential breeding sites."

Bashar criticised the role of the authorities, noting that the recent efforts from the city authorities have done very little to combat dengue.

"Most of our mosquito control activities, such as fogging or spraying drains, target Culex mosquitoes," he said. "But the carrier of the dengue virus is the Aedes mosquito, which breeds in small containers of clean water, for example, flower pots, buckets, discarded cups, and similar places."

The city's routine fogging and larvicide operations are not that effective to target the Aedes breeding sites scattered throughout homes and residential buildings. "Therefore, dengue control must be treated separately from general mosquito control," Bashar added.

Both the experts agree that tackling dengue requires a two-pronged approach. On one side lies proper urban planning — improved waste management, effective drainage systems, and better regulation to control building density. On the other lies behavioural change at the household level. 

Professor Khan noted that planning reforms must begin with the acknowledgement that urban health is a planning issue. "We cannot treat waste disposal and drainage as afterthoughts. They are essential parts of building a liveable city."