An elderly woman, Rahima Begum, 62, has died after being bitten by a venomous snake in Jajira, Shariatpur. The incident took place in the Yasin Akon Kandi area of Palerchar union in the upazila at midday on Tuesday (4 June).

Rahima Begum was the wife of Nur Mohammad Talukder of the same area.

According to locals and her family, Rahima Begum was cooking for her family on Tuesday afternoon as usual when a venomous snake bit her on the left foot. When she screamed, family members and locals came to her aid and took her to a local ojha (faith healer), Azimuddin Morol. Her condition worsened there, and after she was taken to Jajira Upazila Health Complex, the doctor on duty declared her dead.

Her son, Rahman Talukder, said: "When the snake bit her, we took Mother to the local ojha, Azimuddin Morol. While he was performing his incantations, her condition got worse. Later we took her to hospital, where the doctor on duty declared her dead. If we had taken her to hospital straight after the bite instead of to the ojha, we might have been able to save my mother."

Kabir Alam, medical officer at Jajira Upazila Health Complex, said an elderly woman bitten by a snake had been brought to the hospital dead. "We examined her and declared her dead. Judging from the wound, it is initially believed that she died from a Russell's viper bite," he said.

Asked about it, Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Jajira police station, said no one had filed a complaint of malpractice over the woman's death from the snakebite. Legal action would be taken if a complaint were received.

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