14 die in northern Bangladesh after consuming ‘alcoholic drinks’
by bdnews24.com
At least 14 people died in three days after consuming bootleg liquor in the neighbouring districts of Dinajpur and Rangpur during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.
In the northern district of Rangpur, the death toll rose to eight after five more people died in Pirganj from consuming spirit in the last two days, according to the police.
In Dinajpur, at least six people died from consuming alcoholic drinks, the police said. Three of them died at the local hospital in Birampur Upazila while others died on their way to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
“According to initial information, they all died consuming spirit for intoxication. We are investigating the source of the alcohol,” Rangpur Kotwali Police OC Sajedul Islam told bdnews24.com Wednesday.
According to the emergency department of Rangpur Medical College and Hospital or RMCH, Nur Islam, 30, Sarwar Hossain, 31, and Mostafa Kamal, 31, died during treatment in this hospital.
Earlier on Monday, on the day of Eid, Dula Mia, 52, Lal Mia, 30, and on Tuesday, Abdur Razzak, 45, Jaidul Haque, 35, and Chandan Kumar, 30, died of similar reasons, said Inspector Shariful Islam of the Detective Branch.
In Birampur, Abdul Matin, 27, Azizul Islam, 33, Mohsin Ali, 38, ‘Shafiqul’, 43, his wife ‘Monjuara’, 38, and ‘Amrito’, 33, died drinking the same substance, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, chief of Birampur Police Station said, adding that two others were sent to RMCH for treatment.
According to locals, a group set up this drinking zone in Shyampur Bazar during the Eid.
Dr Solaiman Hossain Mehedi, medical officer at Birampur Upazila Health Complex, told bdnews24.com that all these people had consumed ‘rectified spirit’, according to initial information.
Rectified spirit is a highly concentrated ethanol containing 95.6 percent ethyl alcohol. To make it unfit for drinking, about 10 percent methanol and some other chemicals in small doses are added. This is called methylated spirit.