At least 35 students of Pakshia Secondary School in Sharsha upazila, Jessore were rushed to different hospitals Wednesday morning after they suddenly fell sick in class.
Dr Abdur Rashid, medical officer at Jessore General Hospital, confirmed the matter, adding that the children were brought into the hospital around 10:30am.
Nazmunnahar, whose sixth-grader daughter was one of the patients, said after being contacted by the school authorities, she went to the school and found her daughter sick.
Deworming tablets might have caused the students to fall sick as they were given the medication on National Deworming Day three days before, some parents said.
They alleged that the headteacher of the school did not take steps as he was informed earlier that the children were feeling unwell after they were given the deworming pills.
However, Dr Abdur Rashid said the students did not fall ill because of the deworming pills.
He further said the students might have suffered from mass hysteria.
“The students fell ill because they panicked when they saw one of them fall sick. One student’s illness set the rest of them off. There is nothing to be worried about,” he added.
Dr Ashok Kumar of the same hospital said the students might have become sick after eating “panta bhaat,” steamed rice soaked in water, early in the morning.
