A teenager named Mahfuzur Rahman, 16, has died of a snakebite in Keshabpur village, Jhenaidah Sadar upazila.

He died while under treatment at Faridpur Medical College Hospital at around 10pm on Tuesday 1 July. Earlier, he had caught a snake from a palm tree and was playing with it when it bit him on the hand.

Mahfuzur was the only son of Motiar Rahman of Keshabpur village in Maharajpur union, Jhenaidah Sadar upazila. Local people said that at around 9am on Tuesday he caught a snake from a palm tree in the village and kept it shut in a tiffin box. At midday he went back near the palm tree and began playing with it, and the snake bit his hand.

After the bite, Mahfuz rubbed the wound himself with the leaves of various plants. When he then tried to suck out the venom with his mouth, he became more ill.

Neighbour Bashir Uddin said Mahfuz's friend Sohan, who was with him, saw his condition worsening and told his family. As his condition deteriorated, he was admitted to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital at around 3pm.

Jannat-Ara, a doctor in the emergency department of Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital, referred him to Faridpur Medical College Hospital for better treatment, where he died at around 10pm.

Khurshid Alam Mia, chairman of Maharajpur union parishad, confirmed the death, saying the boy died because of a small mistake of his own. The incident has cast a pall of grief over the area.

He said Mahfuz was buried in the family graveyard after his namaz-e-janaza at around 11am on Wednesday 2 July.

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