Bangladesh: Over 100 hospitalised after eating contaminated street food

Dhaka: Over 100 people, including children, in Bangladesh fell severely ill after eating contaminated street food at an Eid fair, raising concerns over the deteriorating food safety standards in the South Asian nation.

95 of them were admitted to the Abhaynagar Upazila of Jessore. 10 of them were sent to Khulna Medical College Hospital as they were in critical condition. The vendor has reportedly been absconding after the incident, according to local media reports.

“We all fell ill after returning home at night. We were admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning,” a patient told leading daily Prothom Alo.

Raghuram Chandra, a duty doctor, said that this condition was caused by bacteria in food. Most of the patients have experienced stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever.

“My entire family went to the Eid fair on Monday night and ate ‘fuchka’ from that shop. Everyone fell ill after coming home at night. I didn’t eat ‘fuchka’. I admitted everyone to the hospital that night. Since the condition of four of them was critical, I admitted them to Khulna Medical College Hospital,” said a family member of a victim.

The police stated they were aware of the incident and were searching for the fuchka vendor.

“We have heard about the incident. We are looking for the petty trader,” said Abdul Alim, officer-in-charge of Abhaynagar Police Station.

The incident has raised concerns over food safety standards in Bangladesh. Recently, local media reported that the rise of substandard products in Bangladesh has become a serious concern in Bangladesh.

The absence of Muhammad Yunus led to interim government intervention has given rise to the growing practice of selling substandard products for extra profit.

According to a report in the country’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, the state of food safety in Bangladesh, as reflected in various studies that have detected harmful chemicals in vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, milk, and other food items, remains quite concerning.

–IANS