40 Bagerhat jail prisoners fall sick, 19 hospitalised

Some 40 prisoners of Bagerhat jail fell sick on Tuesday morning due to food poisoning after they were served with improved diets on Monday on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh. Sources at the district jail said 19 of the sick prisoners were admitted to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital as they have been suffering from stomach upset and constant vomiting. Contacted, acting RMO of Sadar Hospital Dr Koheli Begum said 19 prisoners were admitted to the hospital at 8am as they were suffering from food poisoning. “They’re now out of danger,” she said. Jail Super Mohammad Amanullah also confirmed that nearly 40 of his jail inmates fell ill due to food poisoning. But unofficial sources said the number of prisoners who fell ill would be around 100. The prisoners were served with panta bhat (watery rice and hilsa), a popular dish combination taken at the dawn of the 1st of Boishakh, the 1st day of Bangla calendar. Later, on Monday night, the jail inmates were provided with fried rice. The sources said the prisoners developed digestion and vomiting problems on Monday night and their problems turned serious later in the morning, according to UNB.