50-year-old man dies in Dhaka amid heatwave

A 50-year-old man died after falling ill while he was travelling on an CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Dhaka's Jatrabari area amid scorching heat this afternoon.

Deceased Selim Mia, a resident of Bibir Bagicah area in the capital's Jatrabari, was a meat seller.

The incident happened around 1:00pm as the man was going to Karwan Bazar, on the auto-rickshaw from the Bhanga Press area in Jatrabari.

On his way, on the Mayor Hanif Flyover, he suddenly fell ill. He was taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, said the auto-rickshaw driver Rubel Hossain.

Inspector Bachchhu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost, said the man fell ill amid the scorching heat.

It will be known after autopsy whether he died of heatstroke, the police officer said quoting doctors.

Doctors warn that extremely hot weather can lead to heatstroke.

When the body is exposed to high temperatures, its internal temperature rises rapidly. To cool down, the body sweats, losing both water and minerals.

This can lead to an imbalance in electrolytes, causing fainting and even convulsions. In severe cases, heatstroke can damage the kidneys and lungs, and even be fatal.

In the last two days, a rickshaw puller named Abdul Awal and printing press employee Alamgir Sikder died after falling ill on the road in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) today has extended the heat alert that the ongoing heatwave is likely to persist for 72 more hours starting this morning.