Experts warn over Eid travel as measles-related deaths exceed 500

Experts on Saturday warned against unrestricted Eid travel to prevent further spread of the measles outbreak, as deaths from the viral disease and related symptoms exceeded 500 since March 15, 2026.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) recorded 13 child deaths linked to measles and related symptoms in the 24 hours leading up to 8:00am on Saturday, raising the overall death toll to 512.

According to a press release issued by the DGHS, one of the latest deaths was confirmed to have been caused by measles, while the remaining 12 were classified as suspected cases.

The latest update brings the number of confirmed measles deaths to 86, while suspected deaths have reached 426.

The DGHS also reported 8,494 confirmed measles infections and 62,507 suspected cases nationwide, including 1,967 new suspected cases recorded in the past 24 hours.

Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of deaths, with three fatalities, while it also reported the second-highest number of suspected cases at 444. Mymensingh reported the highest number of suspected cases during the period, with 1,039.

The alarming figure of more than 500 deaths from measles and related symptoms comes at a time when thousands of people are leaving the capital and major cities to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with their loved ones.

Measles is a highly contagious acute viral disease that affects individuals of all ages and remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally.

It is transmitted through airborne particles or droplets from the nose, mouth, or throat of infected people, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“It is high time for the government to make people aware of the potential danger of travelling with children during Eid,” former chief scientific officer of Bangladesh’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, Mohammad Mushtuq Husain, told Daily Waadaa on Saturday.

“If there is an infected child on a bus, he or she can infect up to 25 people. Someone may travel to a village healthy but return sick, and conversely, one visitor can infect children across an entire village,” he said.

Mushtuq praised the government’s vaccination efforts but said authorities were not doing enough to ensure community isolation, which he described as crucial at this stage.

“Due to socioeconomic constraints, many patients arrived at hospitals late, resulting in a high number of deaths and cases,” he said.

The WHO said in April that the current outbreak in Bangladesh is occurring in the context of suboptimal population immunity.

A substantial proportion of cases occurred among children who were either unvaccinated or had received only one dose of a measles-containing vaccine. In addition, some children were infected before reaching the eligible age for vaccination at nine months.

Most cases — 91 percent — occurred among children aged 1 to 14 years, indicating significant immunity gaps within this age group.

Health rights activist Faiezul Hakim Lala said that since older people are also now at risk of getting infected, it is high time for the government to review its public health communication strategy to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

“Health communication is an aspect we often ignore. This can be catastrophic,” he said.

“During this Eid, my nephews and nieces are not visiting villages to see their grandparents. Those who are visiting should take extra precautions to protect the children. The government and the media have a role to play in making people aware.”