Self-proclaimed healer attempts to resurrect snakebite victim in Tangail sparking public outrage
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A traditional healer has sparked public outrage and curiosity in Tangail’s Sakhipur Upazila after claiming he could resurrect a woman two days after her burial. The healer, identified as Gazi Miah, visited the grave of 58-year-old Hasna Begum in Chatalbaid village on Saturday to perform occult rituals.
Hasna Begum, a resident of the Hotea-Bhatkurchala area, died last Thursday following a venomous snake bite. Medical staff at the Sakhipur Upazila Health Complex declared her dead upon arrival, after which she was interred in a family graveyard near her daughter’s home in Chatalbaid.
Gazi Miah, who hails from Kailanpur village in Basail Upazila, arrived at the burial site claiming that the deceased was not truly dead. Eyewitnesses reported that the healer excavated a small tunnel into the side of the grave to smell the remains, asserting that if the body had not yet begun to decompose, he could revive the woman through his rituals. Videos of the incident, which show Miah sprinkling substances over the grave and directing locals to inspect the odor, have circulated widely on social media.
The healer initially promised the victim’s daughter, Khaleda Begum, that he would return on Tuesday to determine if the body could be exhumed and revived. However, following the public attention the incident garnered, Miah later contacted the family to claim he had received a vision during meditation indicating the woman was indeed deceased. When reached for comment on Sunday, Miah refused to provide further details, stating only that the patient could no longer be saved.
Health officials have sharply condemned the incident, dismissing the healer’s claims as scientifically impossible and dangerous. Rehena Parvin, the Sakhipur Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer, emphasized that once a patient is declared dead by medical professionals and buried, any claim of resurrection is absurd. She urged the public not to be misled by such superstitious practices and emphasized that immediate hospital treatment remains the only viable course of action for snakebite victims. Officials have suggested that the healer should be turned over to the police for his actions.
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