Antibiotic resistance is fast emerging as one of the most serious public health threats worldwide, and Bangladesh is firmly in its grip. A recent report by Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) has sounded the alarm, revealing that several commonly used antibiotics are rapidly losing their effectiveness across the country.
Even frontline drugs such as ciprofloxacin and azithromycin, once considered reliable treatments, are now showing resistance levels exceeding 80 per cent against certain bacterial infections. In practical terms, this means these medicines are failing in more than four out of five cases, leaving physicians with dwindling treatment options.
The findings are detailed in the Antimicrobial Resistance Report 2024-25, which analysed 46,279 clinical samples collected nationwide. Compared to data from three years ago, resistance levels have risen sharply, putting life-saving treatments at serious risk. Infections such as bloodstream and urinary tract infections are becoming harder to treat as pathogens like Salmonella Typhi and Klebsiella increasingly withstand standard antibiotics.
The BMU report follows closely on recent research by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), both of which have reported a worrying rise in antibacterial resistance among the population.
Health experts point to a mix of causes fueling this crisis: rampant over-prescription, self-medication among patients, excessive use of antibiotics in livestock and fisheries, poor sanitary conditions, and the lack of new drugs entering the market. These patterns mirror global concerns that uncontrolled antibiotic use is pushing societies toward a ‘post-antibiotic era,’ in which even routine infections will become difficult to treat.
Clinicians warn that if unchecked, this trend could undermine gains in public health, making surgeries, childbirth and routine care far riskier. The BMU report calls for stronger surveillance, stricter prescription controls, public awareness campaigns and coordinated action.
Without immediate and sustained intervention, Bangladesh risks losing the power of its existing antibiotics before viable alternatives are ready to take their place.
