27/05/2026
As families across Bangladesh are returning home for Eid-ul-Adha, health experts fear the country’s worsening measles outbreak could enter another dangerous phase. The annual movement of millions of people, crowded cattle markets, and large family gatherings may increase the risk of transmission at a time when hundreds of children have already died, and thousands remain in hospitals. Bangladesh’s measles crisis continues to deepen as the human cost becomes increasingly devastating for families across the country.
“I did everything to save my daughter. I even sold my camera, the only means of my livelihood, to bear the treatment costs,” said Mohammad Alam, a professional photographer, breaking down in tears after learning that his nine-month-old daughter, Suraiya, had died. In his hand, he still clutched a slip containing the name of the High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) circuit prescribed for her treatment. The equipment, costing around Tk 11,500/-, was no longer necessary.
As of now, deaths related to measles and measles-like symptoms have risen to 555. Confirmed measles cases have reached 8,772, while suspected infections stand at 66,023. The increase has continued despite the completion of the preliminary phase of the one-and-a-half-month special measles-rubella vaccination campaign on May 20.
In response to the outbreak, Bangladesh launched an emergency vaccination campaign in early April with support from international development partners and aid agencies. According to UNICEF, the campaign has helped slow transmission in some of the hardest-hit areas that were prioritised in the initial phase, with new infections beginning to decline.
Officials from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) also reported signs that the infection rate is easing. The nationwide campaign successfully reached approximately 1.84 crore children aged between six months and under five years. However, both health officials and experts warned that fatalities may continue to rise in the coming days.
A major concern now is the potential acceleration of transmission during the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha holidays. Population movement during Eid has historically been massive. Researchers from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology estimate that between 12 and 15 million people leave Dhaka within the three to four days preceding Eid celebrations.
Health experts have repeatedly raised alarms over the additional risks posed by Eid-ul-Adha compared to Eid-ul-Fitr. In an earlier discussion with YPF Fellows, Dr. Sabyasachi Gupta, Regional Lead of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Saskatchewan Region under the Ministry of Indigenous Services, Government of Canada, warned that transmission risks may be significantly higher during Eid-ul-Adha due to the added crowding created by cattle markets (gorur haat) alongside traditional Eid gatherings. He emphasised that Bangladesh needed a specific prevention and management framework extending from the grassroots level to divisional administrations to control transmission effectively.
Dr. Marufur Rahman, Fellow of the YPF Healthcare Team and Senior Performance Measurement Specialist at Health System Performance Management under the Ministry of Health, Government of Saskatchewan, raised similar concerns. He argued that the measles outbreak requires a response approaching the intensity and coordination seen during COVID-19, particularly given the rising number of child deaths.
Bangladesh’s Health and Family Welfare Minister, Sardar Sakhawat Hossain, also acknowledged the risks associated with holiday travel with BBC. “Thousands of children will travel with their parents from town to village, village to town,” he warned. “There will be mixing of children with fever, with the virus.”
However, while recognising the risk, the minister rejected calls to declare a national emergency, stating that district-level hospitals are “ready” and that efforts are underway to strengthen intensive care support in more remote areas.
As Eid-ul-Adha approaches, public health experts increasingly stress that vaccination alone may not be sufficient. They argue that targeted surveillance, community-level prevention strategies, stronger awareness campaigns, and coordinated preparedness from local to divisional levels are urgently needed to prevent another surge in infections.
Written by,
Wasima Binte Hossain Putul
Co-Lead, Policy Advocacy
Youth Policy Forum
