Three-year-old Yasir Arafat succumbed to dengue fever on Saturday morning (October 5) at 10:30 AM while undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of Chattogram Medical College Hospital, marking another tragic loss in the country's escalating mosquito-borne disease crisis. The toddler drew his final breath shortly after calling out to his parents, Rubel Hossain and Jannatul Naima, leaving behind a profound void in their modest tin-shed home in the Gamaritala area of Sonaimuri Union under Sitakunda Upazila in Chattogram.
The grieving father, a crane operator by profession, recounted the heartbreaking final moments on Sunday morning (October 6) at their residence, noting that the dwelling is flanked by open drains teeming with mosquito larvae, which are suspected to be the breeding ground for the vector. The sequence of distress began on September 29 when young Yasir developed a 101-degree fever, which initially subsided after localized treatment. However, the illness returned aggressively on Tuesday with a soaring 104-degree fever accompanied by sudden convulsions, prompting a frantic search for medical intervention as his small body grew cold by Thursday.
After being turned away from the BITID Hospital in Fouzdarhat, the family rushed the deteriorating child to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit following considerable effort. The toddler's condition sharply deteriorated by Friday afternoon as he began experiencing severe complications, including blood-stained vomiting and gastrointestinal bleeding, necessitating high-flow oxygen support prior to his death the following morning. The devastating loss compounds a period of deep sorrow for the family, following the death of Rubel's father just six months prior, leaving the child's mother inconsolable and currently staying with relatives at her paternal home.
Addressing the persistent outbreak, Sonaimuri Union Parishad administrative official Shobhan Bhowmik emphasized that local authorities, including eight village police personnel, have been relentlessly conducting mosquito eradication drives from dawn to dusk throughout the week. Despite regular insecticide spraying, he noted that controlling the vector remains exceedingly difficult without active community participation, urging residents to clear stagnant rainwater and maintain strict household hygiene to prevent further tragedies.
