Eleven members of one family fell ill from an unidentified condition in Mogara village of Dattapara union, Shibchar upazila, Madaripur. On Sunday, seven of them were sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment after their condition became critical. The incident began on Friday morning after the family ate food cooked at the home of Nayon Sheikh.

Family members and local sources said they had eaten together as usual when seven people suddenly became ill and lost consciousness one after another. After receiving no response to phone calls from family members, Nayon Sheikh informed relatives and neighbours living nearby and asked them to check the house. At about 4pm, a neighbour found them unconscious inside the home.

Local people rescued the family members and took them to Shibchar Upazila Health Complex. More people in the house became ill later that night and were also taken to the hospital. Sagarika Akter said everyone began losing consciousness while eating. Monika Akter called for checking whether toxic substances had been mixed into the food or water. Dr Wasif said food poisoning was initially suspected, but tests and an investigation were needed to confirm the cause.