Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday urged students and young people to play an active role in preventing dengue by keeping their homes, educational institutions and surroundings clean, saying the fight against the disease cannot depend on government efforts alone.

“Prevention is the best way to fight dengue, and for that, we must keep our surroundings clean. I need your help in this effort,” he said.

The prime minister made the call while speaking to members of the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) and Scouts during a visit to Rajuk Uttara Model College to observe cleanliness activities aimed at preventing dengue, said his Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

He said the country could make significant progress in preventing dengue and protecting the environment if more young people took responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean.

The prime minister made surprise visits to hospitals, educational institutions and government buildings in the capital to assess the dengue situation, healthcare services and cleanliness activities, said Hasan Shiplu.

Earlier in the day, Tarique visited Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, also known as Kuwait-Maitree Hospital, where he spoke to patients receiving treatment and enquired about the services being provided to them.

He also inspected different departments, including the intensive care unit (ICU) and operating theatres.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the hospital’s overall management and cleanliness, the prime minister gave the authorities seven days to improve the hospital environment and cleanliness arrangements.

He later visited Rajuk Uttara Model College, where he spoke to teachers, students, BNCC members and Scouts. He enquired about the institution’s cleanliness activities and discussed the role students could play in preventing dengue.

Tarique said dengue infections usually rise during this period of the year, particularly through November, with many people falling ill and some dying from the disease every year.

Referring to Dhaka’s cleanliness challenges, he said the capital was a vast city with a population of more than 2.5 crore.

Although city corporation cleaners work regularly, their capacity is limited, making public participation essential, the prime minister said.

“So, whether you are members of the Scouts, Girl Guides or the Red Crescent, or not, you are all citizens of this country. You are the future of the country. You must also take responsibility for keeping your homes, schools, neighbourhoods and surroundings clean,” he said.

The prime minister stressed the need to build social awareness to discourage people from dumping waste indiscriminately.

He said people should be encouraged to act responsibly whenever someone throws rubbish outside designated places.

Tarique said initiatives had been taken to install dustbins at different locations across the capital, but many were being stolen.

Saplings planted by Dhaka North and South city corporations are also being stolen from various places, he added.

The prime minister called upon citizens to become more aware and responsible to prevent such acts.

Tarique advised students to plant at least one tree every year on their own birthdays and those of family members to help protect the environment.

“Try to plant a tree on your birthday, your siblings’ birthdays or your grandparents’ birthdays. It can be at your home, school or village home. As the trees grow, you will grow too,” he said.

Speaking about rising temperatures and the loss of greenery in Dhaka, Tarique recalled that the capital once had more trees and open spaces, but many of these had given way to multistoried buildings.

The prime minister observed that the decline in greenery had made the city feel hotter.

“The more trees we have, the more freely we will be able to breathe. I really like the gentle rustling of leaves. If we all plant trees together, we can also reduce the city’s temperature to some extent,” he said.

During the interaction, Tarique stressed the need for young people to participate actively in dengue prevention, cleanliness and efforts to make the city greener.

He said public awareness and collective efforts, alongside government initiatives, were essential to building a clean and livable city.

Tarique asked the students whether they would help keep their schools, homes, neighbourhoods and surrounding areas clean, receiving a positive response from them.

The prime minister is also supposed to visit Dhaka Medical College Hospital and various hospitals and educational institutions under Dhaka North and South city corporations, Shiplu said.