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Sunday | September 20, 2026 | Dhaka

8 diagnosed with HIV in Bhairab

 Staff Reporter, Kishoreganj
 Published: 12:01 AM, 20 September 2026

Eight men aged 20-30 have tested positive for HIV in Kishoreganj in the first eight months of this year. The number of HIV cases in Kishoreganj is increasing.

The information was revealed in a report by the non-governmental organisation Bandhu Welfare Society, which works to identify HIV among marginalised and vulnerable populations. According to the report, a total of 25 people have been identified as HIV-positive in the district over the past six years and eight months.

Kishoreganj Civil Surgeon Dr Saidur Rahman told The New Nation that the situation was worrying.
“Programmes in this regard should be increased. The number of tests should also be increased,” he said, adding that he would draw the attention of the central authorities to the issues that need to be addressed.

Bhairab Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer (UHFPO) Dr Kishore Kumar Dar said he had signed the Bandhu Welfare Society report and had learned about the HIV detection figures in Kishoreganj from it.He advised people not to panic and to follow healthy and responsible lifestyles.

Bandhu Welfare Society has two offices in Kishoreganj district and has been operating there since 2010. Of the 13 upazilas in the district, its Bhairab office covers six upazilas, while its Kishoreganj office covers seven.

According to the organisation’s report, no HIV cases were detected in Kishoreganj district between 2010 and 2020. Over the next six years and eight months, at least 1,500 samples were tested, and 25 people were found to be HIV-positive. Most of those tested were vehicle drivers, hawkers and people who use drugs.

Of the 25 people identified as HIV-positive, 22 were detected through the Bhairab office and three through the Kishoreganj office. Of the eight people identified this year, five are from Bhairab Upazila and three from Kishoreganj Upazila. They are receiving treatment at designated hospitals under government management.

An official of the Bandhu Welfare Society’s Bhairab office said two of the 25 people had stopped treatment. It was later learned that they had gone abroad. The others are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), a treatment that helps control HIV infection.

The official said all infected people had been advised to remain cautious about blood transfusions.
According to data provided by the National AIDS and STD Control Programme of the Directorate General of Health Services, 1,891 people were diagnosed with HIV in Bangladesh in 2025, covering the period from December 2024 to November 2025. During the same period, 219 people died of AIDS in the country.