DHAKA, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 people died of dengue fever in Bangladesh, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said here Sunday. This is by far the highest death toll in a single day in the country. According to DGHS figures, the death toll this year reached 179. In the last 24 hours, as of 8:00 a.m. local time Sunday, Bangladesh reported 740 new infections, bringing the total number of dengue cases to 41,831 so far this year, the DGHS said. The June-September monsoon period is the season of dengue fever in Bangladesh, which is considered a high-risk nation prone to mosquito-borne diseases.