Extraordinarily wet monsoons have made it easier for mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus to breed in dirty and stagnant water.
Dengue is endemic in tropical countries and outbreaks often occur in urban areas with poor sanitation that allow virus-carrying mosquitoes to multiply.
It used to be a seasonal disease in Bangladesh, but due to hotter and wetter monsoons brought about by climate change, it has been occurring more frequently since the first recorded outbreak in 2000.
Public health officials say the current wave of infections caught the country off guard, as it is caused by a stronger strain of the virus.
“Those concerned think that it may be a temporary disease, and that it will go away after a few days, so no effective or long-term measures are being taken,” he told the BBC Bengali service.
Hundreds of dengue patients have swarmed hospitals in the capital of Dhaka seeking treatment but most of the facilities are at overcapacity.
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