A grocer, Md Azharul Islam, 50, has died after eating poisonous puffer fish at Ashashuni in Satkhira. His mother, wife, son and daughter fell ill in the same incident and were admitted to Satkhira Medical College Hospital. His son's condition deteriorated and he was moved to Khulna Medical College Hospital on Tuesday morning.

The incident happened on Monday evening at Bardal village in the upazila. Azharul Islam was the son of the late Majid Gazi of that village and ran a grocery at Bardal bazar.

Local residents said Azharul bought a tepa, or puffer fish, from a nearby market on Monday evening and brought it home. The family cooked and ate it together, and within a short time showed signs of poisoning. Neighbours rushed them to a private hospital in Satkhira, where Azharul died.

Dr Nitish Chandra Goldar, the upazila health and family planning officer at Ashashuni, said puffer fish carries tetrodotoxin, an extremely dangerous and lethal poison that can paralyse the human nervous system. The health department regularly warns people against eating the fish, he said.

Dr Kudrat-e-Khuda, superintendent of Satkhira Medical College Hospital, said four people were admitted after eating the poisonous fish and that one of them was sent to Khulna on Tuesday morning for advanced treatment as his condition worsened.

Ashashuni upazila nirbahi officer Shyamananda Kundu confirmed the incident and said instructions had been given to provide the family with the support it needs.

Source: Samakal (Satkhira correspondent)