Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with an estimated 162.7 million populations. High population densities and low socioeconomic status are factors associated with high burden of infectious diseases, and Bangladesh is no exception to this rule. Burden of Influenza during pandemic is enormous and burden due to seasonal influenza is not well estimated. Bangladesh Government has undertaken many activities coordinated primarily through: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and other stake holders to prevent avian and pandemic influenza as well as other emerging deadly respiratory pathogens.

IEDCR is the organization within the MOHFW that is responsible for disease surveillance and disease outbreak investigation and they are the national reference laboratory for infectious diseases. IEDCR is recognized as the National Influenza Center (NIC) of Bangladesh by World Health Organization (WHO) since 2007. Like all NICs throughout the world, the IEDCR is designated by national ministries of health and recognized by WHO. Since 2010 IEDCR is successfully running Influenza Surveillance program and established National Influenza Surveillance in Bangladesh known as NISB. IEDCR/NIC enhanced the influenza surveillance platforms in Bangladesh and receives considerable supports from Ministry of Health. Currently, there are 10 sentinel sites in 8 district hospitals and 2 tertiary level Medical College Hospital (Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka and Shahid Taj Uddin Medical College Hospital, Gazipur) under the National Influenza. Surveillance Bangladesh (NISB) distributed geographically to represent all parts of the country.  NISB is collecting samples of ILI and SARI cases from these sentinel sites. The government physicians, nurses and laboratory technologists of the corresponding sentinel sites are entrusted with the responsibilities to conduct the surveillance activities locally. They are responsible for ILI and SARI case selection, epi-data collection, sample collection and sample transportation to IEDCR. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs specimens are now being transported through dry shippers weekly from 10 NISB sites.