At least three students died of food poisoning at a hostel of a Kowmi Madrasah early yesterday. Eleven students were seriously ill and were admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital. The incident occurred at the hostel of Jameatusunnah Mohammadia Kowmi Madrasah in Shimulia village under Sadar upazila. The dead were identified as Imamul Haque, 16, son of Jabbar Hossain of Bargati village, Alif, 9, son of Morad Sheikh of Panchuria village and Mohammad Ashraful, 16, son of Afsar Sheikh of Shovarghop village.
Md Ibrahim, a teacher of the Jamayat department of the madrasah, said the students of the hostel had their dinner around 10pm and went to bed at 11pm on Wednesday night. Imamul Haque started vomiting at 1am and was rushed to Narail Sadar Hospital by a van rickshaw. He died on the way to hospital.
Soon at least a dozen other students fell ill. All of them were taken to the same hospital. Alif died while he was being treated in the hospital, and Ashraful died while he was being shifted to Khulna Medical College Hospital at 4am yesterday.