Family falls ill after meal, thieves ransack house in Manikganj

The incident occurred on Friday night in the Bailjuri area of Payla Union in Ghior upazila.

The family suspects that miscreants may have mixed an anaesthetic substance into their food without their knowledge, causing them to fall ill. Police, however, are investigating whether there is any connection between the family members’ illness and the subsequent theft.

The affected family members are Ramzan Ali, 40, an assistant teacher at Kalyanpur High School in Daulatpur upazila; his mother Bedena Begum, 62; his wife Jahanara Akter, 32; and their three children-Raiyan Hossain, 14, Ridwan Hossain, 12, and Maisha Akter, 11.

According to police, the family and local residents, all six family members fell ill after having lunch on Friday. Some of them reportedly lost consciousness. Neighbours later took them to the upazila health complex in the evening.

As the entire family was at the hospital, the house remained empty at night. Taking advantage of the situation, thieves allegedly broke into the house and ransacked it.

According to the family, the thieves first broke the lock on the main gate and entered the house. They then broke the locks of two rooms and ransacked wooden and steel almirahs, wardrobes, quilts and other belongings.

The thieves allegedly took Tk1,100 from a wallet, along with two pairs of silver anklets weighing around 9 tolas and 6 annas and three rings.

Ramzan Ali said they suspected that someone had mixed an anaesthetic substance with their food without their knowledge. As all six family members became sick and went to the hospital, the house remained vacant, he said.

After recovering, the family members returned home in the morning and found the locks broken and their belongings scattered, he added.

Ghior Police Station Officer-in-Charge ( OC) Mir Mahbubur Rahman said, "police visited the scene and collected necessary information."

“We are investigating how the six family members fell ill and whether there is any connection between their illness and the theft,” he said.

The family is preparing to file a complaint with the police, the OC added.

-MT