Fifty fall sick after having Baishakh feast

At least 50 people fell sick after having food at a Pahela Baishakh programme in Kachua upazila town on Thursday.

Twenty-eight people were admitted to Kachua Upazila Health Complex, while some others were undergoing treatment at home, said Tapas Das, resident medical officer of the health complex.

Over 300 people, including officials of different departments of the upazila administration and their family members, police, teachers, journalists, and students of different educational institutions, attended the programme organised by the upazila administration at Ladies Club, said the victims' family members.

Panta bhat (rice soaked in water), hilsa, Alu Bhorta (mashed potatoes), Chingri Bhorta (mashed shrimp), Dal Bhorta (mashed lentils), and brinjal fry were on the menu of the programme. A local hotel served the food.

Kamrul Islam, father of a victim, said the guests of the programme ate the food between 10:00am and 11:00am. The food was served under the open sky and the temperature was high at that time.

Saiful Islam, emergency medical officer at Kachua Upazila Health Complex, said the patients were taken to the health complex with vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea complications.

These symptoms indicated that they fell sick from food poisoning, he said.

He added that the condition of the patients was improving.

Kazi Mahbubur Rashid, Kachua Upazila Nirbahi Officer, said a three-member probe body, led by Upazila Livestock Officer Debendranath Sarkar, was formed to find the reasons of the incident. It was also asked to submit its report to the UNO within three working days.