As dengue-related deaths and infections continue to climb, the Dhaka South City Corporation conducted a special mosquito control and cleanliness drive yesterday in the capital's Dhanmondi area.

The drive, which began at 7:30am and continued until the afternoon, involved 700 participants -- including 450 sanitation workers from the Waste Management Department, 50 mosquito control workers from the Health Department, 100 volunteers from the Red Crescent Society, 50 members of BD Clean, and 50 volunteers from the Dhanmondi Society.

Md Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, Secretary of the Local Government Division, attended the programme as chief guest.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services,  at least one dengue patient died and nine others were hospitalised in the 24 hours leading up to yesterday morning. With the latest figures, the death toll for the year has risen to 19, while confirmed cases stand at 2,429.

Speaking at the event, DSCC Administrator Md Shahjahan Mia announced that similar mosquito control and cleanliness campaigns would be rolled out across all DSCC zones to combat the dengue outbreak ahead of the monsoon season. The campaign officially began in Dhanmondi.

DSCC's Chief Executive Officer Dr Zillur Rahman, departmental heads, and leaders of the Dhanmondi Society were also present.

As part of the initiative, Dhanmondi was divided into seven zones. Major roads, lakes, parks, mosques, and the Eidgah area were cleaned and sprayed with mosquito repellent.

During a press briefing, Secretary Rezaul Maksud Jahedi highlighted the collaborative nature of the campaign, saying that efforts by DSCC and local community groups aim to make Dhaka cleaner and more liveable.

In a separate programme, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Mohammad Azaz urged city residents to take personal responsibility in the fight against dengue by keeping their homes and surroundings clean.

"We've received numerous complaints regarding improper spraying of mosquito repellents," he said.

"As a result, we've decided not to renew contracts with previous service providers. To ensure accountability, the army will be involved in monitoring the spraying process," he added.

Azaz also said all hospitals in Dhaka have been advised to set up dedicated dengue units. "Everyone must do their part -- cleaning homes and courtyards at least twice a week. If we find Aedes larvae during inspections, fines will be imposed," he warned.

He made the remarks while speaking to journalists during an inspection of ongoing development work in Ward-42 (Beraid and surrounding areas) yesterday.

He further informed that free dengue testing is currently available at urban health centres in every DNCC ward.