Stray Dog Attacks Leave Twenty-Nine Injured in Sherpur

Twenty-nine people, including several children, were injured on Wednesday following a rampage by two stray dogs across various neighbourhoods in the Nakla municipality of Sherpur district. The stray animals also attacked at least six head of cattle during the incident, which spanned from Wednesday morning until late afternoon.

The casualties include five-year-old Rayan, son of Abdur Rahman; five-year-old Mim, daughter of Khalilur Rahman; nine-year-old Jhinuk, daughter of Abdur Rahim; nine-year-old Jihad, son of Miraj Uddin; thirteen-year-old Sojib, son of Lutfar Rahman; and twenty-year-old Riaz Ahmed, son of Firoz Ali. The victims span a wide demographic, including men, women, and young children from different parts of the municipality.

Chaos on the Streets

Local residents reported that the panic began early in the morning when a dog, exhibiting signs of rabies, started running erratically through major residential areas. The animal targeted unsuspecting pedestrians and bystanders in the Green Road, Daripara, and Uttar Kayda areas. Shortly afterwards, a second dog joined the fray, attacking people along public thoroughfares and biting livestock grazing in nearby fields.

In the wake of the attacks, frightened community members mobilised to neutralise the threat. By late afternoon, a group of locals managed to track down and kill one of the aggressive animals. However, the incident has renewed long-standing public anxieties regarding the rising population of stray dogs in the district.

Medical Response and Assistance

The victims were swiftly rescued by onlookers and transported to the Nakla Upazila Health Complex, where medical teams administered emergency first aid and initial treatment. Due to the severity of their lacerations, two of the injured individuals had to be transferred to the Sherpur District Sadar Hospital for advanced clinical care.

Dr Mohammad Golam Mostafa, the Nakla Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer, confirmed that this marks an unprecedented surge in canine attacks within a single day for the local health complex. He urged the public to immediately wash any animal bites with running water and soap for at least fifteen minutes before rushing to the nearest hospital.

The Nakla Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Md Jahangir Alam, stated that the Nakla Municipality has ensured an adequate supply of Anti-Rabies Vaccines (ARV) at the public hospital. These life-saving vaccines are being provided to all victims entirely free of charge. Furthermore, the local municipal authorities have committed to covering the financial costs of any supplementary medicines that patients need to purchase from external pharmacies.

Concerns Over Vaccination Suspension

The local population has expressed deep dissatisfaction over the prolonged suspension of canine vaccination and sterilisation programmes in the region. According to distressed residents, the lack of regular immunisation drives has led to a rise in rabid behaviour among stray packs.

Public health experts note that mass canine vaccination remains the most effective method to eliminate rabies transmission to humans. Community leaders in Sherpur are now calling upon the government and municipal bodies to immediately reinstate a comprehensive vaccination scheme to prevent similar public health emergencies in the future.