Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday urged young people to take the lead in preventing dengue, safeguarding the environment, and keeping the nation clean and green, stressing that efforts to forge a clean and healthier Bangladesh for future generations must commence immediately.

“You will run this country in the future. So, we must start working now to build a beautiful, clean and healthy Bangladesh for the next generation,” he stated.

The Prime Minister made the appeal while addressing members of the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) and Scouts during an inspection visit to Mirpur Bangla College in the capital.

PM Tarique remarked that Bangladesh is a densely populated country, particularly within Dhaka, where maintaining urban cleanliness poses a formidable challenge.

However, the Prime Minister asserted that overcoming this challenge is achievable through collective efforts.

He advised young people not to restrict their civic cleanliness drives to organized programs alone, but to proactively take individual initiatives while encouraging friends, relatives, and neighbors to maintain clean surroundings.

Underscoring the intimate link between sanitation and public health, the Prime Minister pointed out that individuals are far more likely to remain healthy when their residences and immediate environments are kept clean, whereas unhygienic conditions heighten the risk of various illnesses.

“If so many people fall ill, it will be difficult to arrange enough doctors and medicines to treat everyone. So, our first task is to keep people healthy. And to keep people healthy, we must keep the environment clean,” he noted.

Emphasizing the critical role of hygiene in curbing vector-borne diseases, PM Tarique observed that numerous individuals contract dengue annually, with several succumbing to the infection.

“Destroying mosquito breeding grounds and keeping homes and their surroundings clean are among the most effective ways to prevent dengue,” he highlighted.

The Prime Minister revealed that the government is according special priority to conducting weekly sanitation drives every Saturday through November as part of its overarching dengue prevention strategy.

He called upon citizens to thoroughly clean the premises surrounding their homes, schools, colleges, workplaces, and other institutions, paying particular attention to eliminating stagnant water accumulation.

PM Tarique further demanded an immediate cessation of the habit of dumping garbage on public roads, in canals, rivers, and other aquatic bodies, explaining that accumulated refuse pollutes the ecosystem and fosters ideal conditions for germ proliferation and mosquito breeding.

Exhorting BNCC and Scouts members to spearhead public awareness campaigns, he advised them to politely educate anyone caught throwing trash on streets regarding the significance of cleanliness and assist them in properly disposing of waste in designated receptacles when necessary.

“Remember, you are working not just for yourselves but for the benefit of everyone,” the Prime Minister reminded them.

Expressing deep concern over Dhaka’s air quality, PM Tarique lamented that the capital frequently ranks among the world's most polluted cities, calling the situation embarrassing.

He emphasized that environmental preservation demands extensive tree plantation alongside other corrective measures.

Recalling his previous afforestation initiatives, the Prime Minister shared that approximately 80,000 neem saplings were planted in Dhaka alone during 2004-05 through an organization founded in his father's memory.

Addressing the student audience, he challenged them to surpass his past achievements by planting an even greater number of trees, saying, “Now you have to go beyond me. You will plant more trees. InshaAllah, you can do it.”

The Prime Minister also recounted the historical background of the neem plantation on Saudi Arabia’s Arafat plain, recalling that the region was largely arid before then-President Ziaur Rahman dispatched neem saplings there.

He explained that neem was selected upon the recommendation of Bangladeshi scientists due to its adaptability to the Saudi climate, adding that the trees subsequently flourished across the plains and became widely known as “Zia trees.”

Citing Japan as a model of civic cleanliness, PM Tarique noted that its streets remain virtually litter-free largely because citizens have cultivated the habit of avoiding littering rather than depending exclusively on municipal sanitation services.

He reiterated the vital necessity of preserving rivers, canals, and other water bodies while halting environmental and water pollution, urging that citizens must cease throwing plastic bottles, polythene bags, food packaging, and other refuse indiscriminately.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that unified action by BNCC and Scouts members alongside ordinary citizens could successfully build a superior Bangladesh.

“The future belongs to you. You will run this country,” he declared.

PM Tarique’s visit to Mirpur Bangla College formed part of a series of surprise inspections across hospitals and educational institutions aimed at evaluating the dengue situation and monitoring ongoing cleanliness drives.