Two female madrasa students were found dead early Saturday (August 16) at a religious school in Gomostapur upazila of Chapainawabganj district. The incident occurred at Shefali Hafizia Women’s Madrasa in Dobarmore area of Radhanagar union.
The deceased were identified as Jamila Khatun, 10, daughter of Soyebur Rahman from Begpur village, and Tania Akter Nishi, 12, daughter of Tarikul Islam from Lebudanga village.
According to madrasa authorities, police, and locals, around 11 pm Friday night, 12 students had dinner and went to sleep.
At about 2:30 am, Jamila and Tania suddenly fell ill, complaining of severe stomach pain and vomiting. Both were rushed to Gomostapur Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead.
Shahida Khatun, a teacher at the madrasa, said all students appeared well after dinner. “Around 2:30 am, Jamila started vomiting blood. Shortly after, Tania also began vomiting. We took them to the hospital immediately, but they could not be saved. We have no idea what caused their deaths,” she said, adding that Tania’s hand was swollen but there were no signs of snakebite on either body.
Dr. Abdul Alim, the attending physician at the emergency department of the health complex, confirmed that Jamila was already dead upon arrival, while Tania passed away shortly after being admitted. “It appears to be an unnatural death. No evidence of snakebite was found,” he added.
Officer-in-Charge of Gomostapur Police Station, Wadud Alam, said the bodies have been sent to the 250-bed Chapainawabganj District Hospital for autopsy. “The exact cause of death will be known after the post-mortem report,” he said.
