Tragic Shock! Expat Dies After Stepping on Hidden Electric Trap Set by Neighbour

A Bangladeshi migrant worker, recently returned from Qatar, died after being electrocuted by an electric trap set to kill rodents in Shibpur village of Nadona Union, under Sonaimuri upazila in Noakhali. The heartbreaking incident occurred on Saturday morning, leaving the local community stunned and raising questions about the dangers of unregulated electric traps used in rural farmland protection.

The deceased has been identified as Md Nurul Huda, who had come home only a short time ago. According to family members, he was due to fly to Saudi Arabia next Friday to resume work, making the tragedy even more devastating for his family.

Local residents and police told reporters that Nurul Huda’s neighbour, Md Riyaz, had prepared a seedbed for Boro paddy adjacent to his home. To protect the seedbed from rats and other rodents, Riyaz installed an electric trap using live current. Such traps, though widely used in rural Bangladesh, are extremely dangerous and often set up without proper warning signs, insulation, or legal permission.

On Saturday morning, Nurul Huda went to a nearby field to prepare another seedbed. While working near the edge of Riyaz’s land, he accidentally came into contact with the live electric wiring. Villagers believe he may not have known the trap was active. He collapsed immediately after being electrocuted.

Relatives rushed to the field upon hearing the news and took him to Sonaimuri Upazila Health Complex, where duty doctors declared him dead on arrival. His sudden death has left the family shattered, particularly as he was the main breadwinner who supported his household through overseas employment.

Speaking to reporters, Parvez Alam, Nurul Huda’s brother-in-law, said that the neighbour responsible for the electric trap fled the area shortly after the incident. “Riyaz left the village as soon as the news spread. The local elders are trying to mediate the matter, but we are devastated. Nurul did not deserve to die like this,” he said.

The incident has sparked discussion among villagers regarding the legality and safety of using electric currents for rodent control. Many acknowledged that such methods have been used informally for years, but several residents admitted they were unaware that the traps could claim human lives so easily.

When contacted, Mohammad Morshed Alam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sonaimuri Police Station, confirmed the death. He stated, “The family of the deceased has declined to file any formal complaint. Nonetheless, we have registered an unnatural-death (UD) case. The body has been sent to the morgue at the 250-bed Noakhali General Hospital for post-mortem examination.”

Law enforcement officials added that further action could be taken depending on the findings of the autopsy and the outcome of community discussions. The OC also urged villagers to refrain from installing illegal electrical traps due to the severe risks they pose.

The tragedy has highlighted broader concerns about rural safety practices. Many farmers resort to makeshift electrical traps due to repeated crop losses, but such methods are seldom monitored by authorities. Agricultural experts warn that while rodent issues are real, unsafe electrification is a severe hazard that can lead to fatal accidents.

Nurul Huda’s death serves as a grim reminder that unregulated practices, however common, can have devastating and irreversible consequences.