Rajshahi University student bitten by snake while sleeping in hall

A Rajshahi University student was bitten by a venomous common krait while sleeping in his room at Shaheed Shamsuzzoha Hall early Sunday (September 27), leaving him hospitalised.

Nur Nabi Islam, a student of the Information Science and Library Management Department from the 2022-23 academic session, was bitten around 5:30am in Room 138. His classmates rushed him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in a university ambulance after he alerted them.

Dr Shamim Ahmed of the hospital’s emergency department said tests confirmed that the student had been bitten by a common krait, locally known as “pati kalach.” He has received two doses of antivenom and is now in stable condition and out of danger.

The snake, measuring about three feet, was later rescued from the room by SWAN, a university-based wildlife and environmental volunteer organisation.

SWAN General Secretary Samit Bin Rahman said the organisation’s Rajshahi University chapter has rescued 10 to 15 snakes from the campus this month, most of them non-venomous. Among the venomous species found were kraits and cobras.

He said kraits and monocled cobras are relatively common on the campus and are particularly active at night, urging students to remain cautious when moving around after dark.

University Student Adviser Prof AHM Khursheed Alam said the student remained stable and had been given antivenom, while an ICU bed had been kept ready as a precaution. He said he was monitoring the situation in coordination with the hospital.

Hall Provost Prof Al-Amin Sarker said snakes had entered the hall on previous occasions. The authorities have cleared grass around the building, created a barrier around the premises and used bleaching powder along the front sides, but the discovery of a snake on the fifth floor has raised fresh concerns. The exact way the snake entered the room remains unclear.