Children’s “measles” disease spreads in B’ Desh in epidemic form, 94 children die in 19 days, Workers’ Party demands formation of task force

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Apr 4, 2026 : Children’s “measles” disease has started increasing at an alarming rate in Bangladesh in the form of an epidemic. Panic has spread across the country. 94 children have died with measles symptoms in the last 19 days. The Bangladesh Workers’ Party said in a press note that the number is even higher unofficially.
A press release from the Directorate General of Health Services on Friday said that since March 15, 5,792 children have been admitted to hospitals across the country on suspicion of measles. Of them, 771 have been diagnosed with measles. At the same time, 9 children have died due to measles.
The highest number of patients among the infected people was found in Dhaka division, where 318 children have been infected with measles.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services, 947 new children have been admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours with measles symptoms. Measles has been diagnosed in 42 of them. At this time, the maximum number of 18 patients has been identified in Dhaka division. No new patients have been identified in Mymensingh division during this time.
Division-wise, 8 new patients have been identified in Rajshahi, 5 in Khulna and Sylhet each, 4 in Chittagong and 1 each in Barisal and Rangpur.
According to the Department of Health, symptoms of measles appear within 10 to 14 days of entering the body. Initial symptoms include runny nose, cough, high fever, red and watery eyes, and white spots inside the cheeks (Koplik spots).
Later, a red rash appears on the skin, which first starts on the face and throat and gradually spreads throughout the body. This rash usually disappears within 5 to 6 days.
According to experts, most affected children recover within 7 to 10 days and later long-term immunity is developed in the body. However, those concerned believe that taking rapid preventive measures is essential in the current situation.
Hospital patients are complaining that although vaccinations are given under the national program, in reality many children are not getting vaccinated on time. Vaccination programs are not fully effective, especially in urban slums, remote villages and marginalized communities. As a result, herd immunity or “hard immunity” is weakening, which creates opportunities for the spread of infectious diseases. Pediatricians say the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still visible. During the pandemic, routine vaccination programs are disrupted, many families are reluctant to visit health centers and health sector priorities have also changed. As a result, a large number of children are left unvaccinated, which currently increases the risk of infection.
Acting President of the Workers’ Party of Bangladesh, Comrade Mahmudul Hasan Manik, and Acting General Secretary, Comrade Nur Ahmed Bakul, expressed their deep concern and anxiety over the measles outbreak that has claimed the lives of hundreds of children across the country, including thousands of children in every district of Bangladesh, saying, “Hundreds of children are dying of measles due to the negligence of the government’s Ministry of Health, which is a kind of structural murder. The current government, including the previous Yunus government, cannot avoid responsibility for this murder. The government’s vaccination program is a priority program of the Ministry of Health, which should be done regularly. But unfortunately, this program was stopped for the last 2 years on behalf of the Yunus government, which has resulted in millions of children dying in the country from measles, which has turned into an epidemic. Adults are also being infected, and severe diseases like pneumonia have also spread. The government should immediately form a task force to launch a vaccination program to prevent the measles epidemic and launch emergency health care camps in all government and private hospitals.”