Schoolgirl dies, a few others fall sick of unknown disease

A 12-year-old girl died and several others, all students of Bordanagar Government Primary School in Chatmohar upazila under the district, fell sick with an unknown disease during the last couple of days, spreading fear of ghosts among the superstitious villagers.

"During the last couple of days, eight to ten girl students of Class V fell sick after going near the toilet of the school. The teachers took them to Chatmohar Upazila Health Complex where Rumi Khatun, 12, died on Thursday afternoon," said Md Rafikul Islam, headmaster of the school.       

"My daughter fell sick after seeing a mysterious doll inside the school toilet on Thursday. Doctors at the upazila health complex could not identify the disease. A devil or ghost must have killed her," said Rumi's mother Rozina Khatun.

The other admitted girls were released after giving saline and some medicines as they were suffering from weakness but no disease was found with them, said doctors of the health complex.

Visiting the houses of seriously sick Ankhi Khatun and Alpona Khatun yesterday, this correspondent found that their guardians were depending on kabiraj (herbal practitioner) and ojha (esoteric healer) for treatment.

Md Asad, father of Alpona Khatun, said as her condition was getting worse he took her to different hospitals in last couple of days but no disease was diagnosed.

"The disease cannot be cured by doctors as some evil power attacked our girls," said Omela Khatun, grandmother of Ankhi.

"Students' attendance has drastically fallen due to the panic of ghosts. Several students said they saw abnormal scenes in the toilet," said Md Abdus Salam, a teacher of the school.

Chatmohar Upazila Primary Education Officer Abul Bashar Shamsuzzaman along with other officials visited the spot on Sunday and talked with the locals and the parents of the students, explaining the necessity of arranging their medical treatment instead of getting panicked by the rumour of ghosts.

Chatmohar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Shafikul Islam, who also visited the spot, said a medical team will visit the affected students and the serious ones must be taken to hospital.