Toxic grains in pitha, 11 hospitalized
Eleven people have been hospitalized after eating pitha prepared for a family gathering on the occasion of the construction of a new house in Shyamnagar, Satkhira. It has been alleged that poisonous grains were mixed with the pitha while making the pitha, mistakenly thinking it was black cumin.
The incident took place in the Ramjannagar area of the upazila on Monday (November 24) evening. The sick were admitted to the Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex, where doctors quickly cleaned their stomachs and provided them with necessary treatment. Most of them are in stable condition but are being kept under observation in the hospital.
The people who were hospitalized after eating the toxic pitha are Sumaiya (22), Aiza (02), Mehjabin (01), Samia (04), Aklima (35), Jannati (15), Ayub Khan (60), Ajiha (01), Sharmin (23), Mita (35) and Umme Habiba (21).
According to family sources, the family’s daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were invited to celebrate the joy of building a new house. In the afternoon, while making pitha, the elder sister of the family, Julekha Bibi, mistook the granular pesticide kept in the kitchen for black cumin and mixed it with it. Shortly after eating the pitha, all those present showed symptoms of poisoning including vomiting, dizziness and stomach pain and were rushed to the hospital.
Shakir Hossain, the doctor in charge of the emergency department of Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex, said, “We started treatment as soon as the patients were brought to the hospital. Seeing the symptoms, it seemed that something like pesticide had mixed with the food. Now everyone is under observation.”
After the incident, concern has spread across the area. Such accidents have occurred due to keeping dangerous items with food in the kitchen. Many consider it a big risk to keep pesticides, medicines or harmful items in the kitchen inadvertently. “This is basically an accident that happened by accident,” said Mohammad Biplob Hossain, Sub-Inspector (SI) of Shyamnagar Police Station, who inspected the scene.
