325 hospitalised in Jhenidah after taking biriyani

Around 325 people have fallen sick in last two days after “taking contaminated biriyani” served at two separate programmes of Awami League in Maheshpur upazila of Jhenidah.

The programmes were arranged by Parvin Talukder Maya, a former MP and AL nomination aspirant from Jhenidah-3 constituency, at Maheshpur High School ground on Tuesday and Kotchandpur bus stand area yesterday, sources said.

Several hundred activists of Awami League from adjacent villages attended the programmes where they were served the biriyani, our local correspondent reports quoting the victims and physicians.

The sick people were admitted to Maheshpur, Kotchandpur and Jibannagar upazila health complexes.

Maheshpur Upazila Health Complex’s Resident Physician Dr Afsar Ali said, a total of 45 persons have been admitted to the health complex with symptoms of food poisoning.

“I was given a packet of biriyani after the meeting, which I shared with my wife and son. We started suffering from loose motion and vomiting around 11:00pm,” said Habibur Rahman of Ramchandrapur village, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Dr Shahabuddin of Kotchandpur Upazila Health Complex said a total of 250 patients have taken admission at the hospital till 12noon today.

Contacted, Parvin Talukdar Maya said, it was nothing but a conspiracy against her. “Those who are jealous of my popularity have intentionally mixed toxin in the food,” she alleged.

She also argued that the incident could occur at one place but the recurrence of the same incident is definitely a conspiracy. She demanded that those involved behind the incident be brought to the book.

Meanwhile, Maheshpur Upazila unit Awami League held a protest rally for serving ‘stale and rotten’ food at the workers’ meeting.

A five-member probe body led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Kanak Kumar Biswas has been formed by the district administration to investigate the incident.