A college student named Abu Jihad Akash, 19, has died of a snakebite in Karamdi village of Gangni upazila in Meherpur. His family managed to catch the venomous shiyarchanda snake that bit him.

The snake bit him at around 12:30am on Friday (21 July). He was taken round several ojhas (faith healers) and then, at dawn, to Kushtia Medical College Hospital, where he died. The incident has spread fear of snakes in the area.

Abu Jihad Akash was the son of Rohidul Islam, a day-labourer farmer of the village (spelt Kamradi at one point in the report), and a second-year HSC student at Karamdi Degree College.

The snake bit Akash on his right hand at around 12:30am as he slept in his own room. His family caught the snake, put it in a container and took Akash to several ojhas in the village. When his condition worsened there, he was taken to Kushtia Medical College Hospital, where he died while being treated.

A doctor said this snake, known as shiyarchanda, kalach, domna chiti, domna bora or common krait, is even more venomous and dangerous than the Russell's viper.

Dr Abdul Al Maruf, resident medical officer of Gangni Upazila Health Complex, said there has been panic in neighbouring Kushtia district recently over the presence of Russell's vipers, but the shiyarchanda, or common krait, is more venomous and dangerous than the Russell's viper.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.