AdvertisementAdvertisementThis handout photo released by Bangladesh's Press Information Department on Mar 12, 2026 shows Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman speaking during a parliamentary session in Dhaka. (File photo: Bangladesh's Press Information Department via AFP)30 Mar 2026 06:04PM (Updated: 30 Mar 2026 06:09PM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST DHAKA: Bangladesh's prime minister has ordered an urgent nationwide review following a measles outbreak with more than 600 cases, officials said on Monday (Mar 30).Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed two senior ministers to travel across the South Asian nation of 170 million people to assess the scale of the crisis and coordinate response efforts, according to a statement from his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).Ministry of Health senior official Md Halimur Rashid, head of the disease control unit, said there have been 674 measles cases across the country this year.Measles is one of the world's most contagious diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and spreads through coughs or sneezes.Show MoreShow LessComplications can include brain swelling and severe breathing problems. While it can affect anyone, it is most common in children.FAQ: What you need to know to protect yourself from measlesCommentary: The world’s most contagious disease is making an alarming comebackBangladesh has made significant advancements in vaccinations to tackle infectious disease, but a measles drive that had been due in June 2024 was delayed by unrest during a mass uprising that toppled the government."Regular vaccine drives have been ongoing, only the special campaign drive which was scheduled for June 2024 had to be postponed due to political unrest," Rashid told AFP, saying the next campaign will begin in June.The WHO estimates as many as 95,000 measles deaths globally every year, mostly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under the age of five, according to its latest statistics.There is no specific treatment for measles once caught.Source: AFP/dcNewsletterMorning BriefSubscribe to CNA’s Morning BriefAn automated curation of our top stories to start your day.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST