The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has deployed spray teams to wipe out mosquitoes at the city's two stadiums, which will host the opening ceremony and six World Cup matches, health chief Brigadier General Nasir Uddin said.

"Mosquitoes have been breeding alarmingly in recent months so we have taken special measures to kill mosquitoes in the stadiums and for three kilometres two miles around them," he told AFP."Our special teams headed by DCC officers have been spraying extensively in every open space, drain, pond and sewer to make sure no mosquito can breed. We want to ensure a mosquito free World Cup for spectators."

He said areas near hotels used by teams and supporters would also be sprayed.Malaria is usually restricted to rural areas of Bangladesh, but dengue fever is common in towns.The country is a co-host of the World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.

After the opening ceremony in Dhaka on February 17, the action begins with a Bangladesh v India clash in the city on February 19.The World Cup is the biggest event that Bangladesh has hosted since its independence in 1971.Authorities have already evicted hawkers and beggars, forced worn-out buses off the roads and banned laundry from being hung out near stadiums to improve Dhaka's image.