Leaders of Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) on Monday, at a protest rally in Dhaka, called on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government to identify those responsible for the measles outbreak across the country that has killed 409 children.

SPB (Marxist) organised the rally in front of the National Press Club, where its coordinator Masud Rana said that the health ministry under the interim government was responsible for the spread of measles, as they did not take proper initiatives to control the disease.

Central leader of the party Joydip Bhattacharjee called on the government to take adequate steps to stop the spreading of disease and save lives of children.

He called on the government to set up surveillance centres at the ward levels to identify measles patients.

He also demanded setting up intensive care units in every government hospital at the upazila level.

Chaired by Masud Rana, the rally featured speeches by central party leaders Shima Datta and Raju Ahmed.

The rally was followed by a protest procession that paraded several city roads.