In Sitakunda, Chattogram, a young man named Minhaj Uddin, 26, climbed to the top branches of a tree in the dark of night and was shouting. He could not be persuaded to come down. About seven hours later, locals brought him down after calling the azan.

The incident happened at about 9.30pm on 12 May in the Bangla Bazar area of Salimpur union in the upazila. He is the son of Jane Alam of the area.

A local young man, Iqbal Hossain, said Minhaj had cut various branches of a tree behind his house at about noon. But after Maghrib he suddenly began talking and shouting to himself, saying: "I cannot deal with the four of you. I will cut the tree down." At one point he ran to the tree he had been cutting at noon and, according to Iqbal Hossain, for some unexplained reason ended up at the top of the 30-foot tree within about three seconds. He was shouting and making noises like a wild animal, and did not come down despite being asked to.

When locals began calling the azan, 'Allahu Akbar', the young man fell silent and then lost consciousness. Locals tied him with rope and lowered him from the top, then took him to hospital. He is now at home.

Another local young man, Mainul Islam Bappi, said: "Unexplained incidents have happened to his mother several times behind their house too. We cannot understand why these things are happening. Panic has spread in the area."

Al Mamun, in charge of Kumira fire service, said they had received news of the incident, but before they could reach the spot, locals had rescued the man and taken him to hospital.

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