In Bogra, the death toll from consumption of expired liquor rose to 16 on Tuesday evening.
The deceased are -- Ramnath Rabidas, 60, Premnath Rabidas, 60, Sumon Rabidas, 36, Ramzan Ali, 65, Mehedi Hasan, 21, Abdur Razzak, 40, Ahad Ali, 40, Zulfiqar Rahman Foku, 56, Abdul Jalil, 65, Palash Mia, 34, Saju Mia, 55, Mozahar Ali, 60, Alamgir Hossain, 55, Ramzan Ali, 60, Abul Kalam, 50, and Laju Mia, 50.
The tragedy has been unfolding in the district since Sunday night.
Four of them died at different hospitals while the 12 others died at their home. Meanwhile, nine more people who drank the toxic liquor are receiving treatment in different hospitals of the district.
Police could recover only 10 bodies for autopsy while the other bodies were buried without informing police, said Sadar police station OC Humayun Kabir.
The death toll can rise further, he added.
News of deaths started coming in a span of more than a week from Dhaka and elsewhere from liquor poisoning in Bangladesh. Consequently, law enforcers have cracked down a factory in Dhaka for adulterating alcohol recently.
Police said due to shortage of availability of foreign liquor, people are resorting to local vendors who sell such beverage.
In a recent incident, at least three employees of a top public relations and advertising company allegedly died from alcohol poisoning in Dhaka hospitals after returning from a retreat at a Gazipur resort.
Also read - Crackdown on bootleg liquor factories after multiple deaths
Meanwhile, police on Tuesday night arrested three owners and an employee of four homeopathy medicine shops in a case filed over this incident on Monday, said Bogra Sadar police station OC Humayun Kabir.
The arrestees are -- Nurunnabi Sheikh, owner of Parul Homoeo Hall in Fulbari area of Bogra, MA Khaleq, owner of Moon Homoeo Hall in Galapatti area, Shahidul Islam, owner of Karatoya Homoeo Hall in Chelopara and Md Jewel, employee of Hasan Homoeo Hall in the same area.
An operation is underway to arrest the others connected to this incident, the OC added.
Crackdown on bootleg liquor factories
After multiple deaths in the span of a week from liquor poisoning in Bangladesh, police have started cracking down on factories manufacturing pure ethanol laced alcohol.
As part of the crackdown, law enforcement conducted a raid in the Bhatara area of Dhaka on Monday night and busted an illegal factory.
They also apprehended six people, including the owner of the factory, during the raid at Khilbarir Tek.
