Escalating Dengue in Bangladesh: An Analytical Assessment of Environmental and Socioeconomic Drivers

Abstract

Dengue has emerged as one of the most severe and rapidly escalating public health threats in Bangladesh, reflecting both localized vulnerabilities and broader global transmission dynamics. This study aims to examine the key environmental, climatic, and socioeconomic drivers underlying the country’s unprecedented dengue surge since 2018, with particular emphasis on post-COVID trends. The central research questions are: (i) how climate variability and urban environmental changes are reshaping dengue transmission in Bangladesh, (ii) which often-overlooked structural factors are intensifying the severity of outbreaks, (iii) how these local dynamics reflect emerging global risks, and (iv) how global risk management practices can be effectively implemented in the Bangladeshi context. Using a comprehensive narrative review of national surveillance data obtained from official sources, peer-reviewed literature, meteorological records, and validated public reports, the study synthesizes evidence on temperature rise, altered rainfall patterns, humidity, unplanned urban growth, population density, sanitation failures, construction activity, pollution, insecticide resistance, and declining green cover. Findings indicate that dengue transmission in Bangladesh is driven by a convergence of climate stressors and human-made environmental conditions, particularly clogged drainage systems, unmanaged plastic waste, water storage practices, and high-rise construction sites that facilitate Aedes mosquito breeding. The study concludes that Bangladesh’s dengue crisis represents an early warning of a wider global emergency. Addressing it requires integrated climate-responsive surveillance, urban planning reforms, strengthened vector control, and coordinated public health action grounded in a One Health approach.