A snake charmer named Azadul Islam Ghutu, 30, has died in Gaibandha after being bitten by a venomous snake he was training to perform. He had planned to put on a show with the snake at a local market on Tuesday 4 August.

The death was confirmed by Hedayetul Islam Chowdhury, sub-assistant community medical officer (SACMO) at Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex. The snake charmer had been brought to the hospital at about 11:30pm on Monday.

Azadul Islam was the son of the late Abdul Malek of Tarafkamal Shialgara village in Sapmara union of the upazila.

According to local sources, Azadul had performed snake shows in various areas for a long time and recently did so with snakes coiled around a banana plant. For a show at Asad Mor in Shakhahar union on Tuesday, he caught a venomous snake in the Kochasahar area of the upazila on Monday afternoon and tried to train the newly caught snake for display. During the training the snake suddenly bit him and he fell ill on the spot.

His family then took him to an ojha (faith healer) in the Shibsamudra area of Kalai in Joypurhat to have the venom "drawn out". When his condition worsened there, he was taken to Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex at about 11:30pm, where the doctor on duty declared him dead.

Hedayetul Islam Chowdhury said the snakebite patient had died long before being brought to hospital and arrived dead. Citing the family, he said that after the bite in the afternoon the patient was first taken to a faith healer in Joypurhat and only then brought to hospital.

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