No dengue death in Sylhet in 24 hours, 11 hospitalised; Tk 50 lakh bridge lies abandoned in Habiganj for 12 years

Two different kinds of news came from two districts of Sylhet Division on Tuesday (October 20). In Sylhet, no one died of dengue in the past 24 hours, but 11 new patients were admitted to hospital. In Habiganj, meanwhile, local media reported that a bridge built at a cost of about Tk 50 lakh has been lying abandoned for a long 12 years.

According to a Sylhet Voice report, the latest dengue figures for the division show that while there was no death in a day, the flow of new admissions has not stopped. The report said 11 patients were admitted to hospital.

In this changing season, dengue usually lingers into the months after the monsoon as well. News of fresh admissions in Sylhet therefore underlines the need for caution, even though a day without a death is a relief.

The general advice of doctors — not to ignore a fever and to get tested, to throw away standing water in and around the home, and to protect against mosquito bites — is the core of dengue prevention, and it applies just as much to the residents of Sylhet.

The Habiganj story, on the other hand, raises questions about infrastructure maintenance. According to a Sylhet View 24 report, the bridge, built for about Tk 50 lakh, has been lying abandoned for 12 years.

A bridge is built to make travel easier for people on both banks. But with this one out of use for a full decade, the report suggests that the very purpose of its construction has gone unfulfilled.

When publicly funded infrastructure lies unused year after year, public suffering continues on the one hand and people get no return on the construction cost on the other. Why this bridge in Habiganj ended up in such a state is now being discussed locally.

Residents of Sylhet Division hope that health authorities will keep watch so the dengue situation does not worsen, and that the authorities concerned will reach a quick decision on Habiganj's abandoned bridge.

Both stories are directly tied to everyday life in the division — one about public health, the other about travel and development. In both cases, what is awaited now is effective action.