Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam has hit out at the government’s plant protection wing for obstructing the purchase of mosquito-killing insecticides.
"Countries around the world are able to buy and use insecticides. But it's not possible for us to do so because of a vested interest group", he said.
The mayor said it while addressing a round table on mosquito control and dengue prevention in the capital's Bashundhara Residential Area on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.
"They have held the whole country hostage. The Plant Quarantine Wing misconstrued a government notice and blocked the import of insecticides", he added.
Amid a massive outbreak of dengue this year, a research highlighted the ineffectiveness of the insecticides sprayed by Dhaka's bifurcated city corporations.
By the time the authorities had moved to bring in more potent mosquito-killers, the number of dengue patients had soared past 50,000.
The import of pesticides into the country is subject to a clearance from the agriculture department's plant protection wing, which is tasked with testing the chemical compounds for any adverse effects on botany.
In the face of heavy criticism over the authorities' failure to contain the dengue-carrying aedes mosquitoes, Mayor Atiqul, however, claimed the import of insecticides was hampered by the 'obstacles' created by the plant protection wing and this in turn exacerbated the dengue outbreak.
But dengue specialist Dr ABM Abdullah called for a concerted effort instead pointing the blame at anyone.
"There's no use in playing the blame-game over this. The whole world is experiencing a spread of such diseases due to climate change. No-one can control nature," he said.
"There is nothing to be so concerned about dengue. We can work on the things that are within our grasp. Presently, dengue is a problem nationwide and not just in Dhaka. So we must work to prevent the disease across the country."
"We need to keep new types of pesticides in the pipeline for use in case of emergency," said Jahangirnagar University's botany teacher Dr Kabirul Bashar.
As the disease has spread across the country, Dr Kabirul recommended implementing year-round 'special measures' across the country to contain aedes mosquitoes.
