Snake charmer hospitalised after cobra bite during rescue operation in Kushtia

A snake charmer has been hospitalised after being bitten by a cobra while attempting to rescue the reptile from a house in Kushtia's Bheramara upazila.

The incident occurred in Baggari Para around 10:00pm on Friday.

The injured, Imran Hossain, 38, son of Mosharraf Hossain of Hirimadia Gorosthan Para in Bheramara, is undergoing treatment at Kushtia General Hospital.

Imran, who identifies himself as a snake charmer and traditional healer, regularly posts videos on social media showing snake-catching operations.

According to locals, he was called to the house of Amirul Islam after family members spotted a snake on the premises. While digging in the yard, he recovered several baby snakes before pulling out an adult cobra from its hole. As he attempted to capture it, the snake bit him just above the knee.

Local residents rushed him to Kushtia General Hospital.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Imran said the incident occurred a day after Amirul Islam's only son, 22-year-old Samrat, died from a snakebite.

"After Samrat's death, the family saw another snake in the yard on Friday and called me. I first rescued three baby snakes and then pulled out a large cobra from a hole. About a minute and a half after catching it, I was bitten above my knee due to a moment of carelessness," he said.

The snake charmer added that local youths immediately took him to the hospital and that he was now recovering.

Following the incident, a photograph of Imran's visiting card circulated on social media. The card describes him as a snake charmer offering snake-catching and snakebite treatment services, while also claiming to cure various complex and "hidden" diseases.

Resident Medical Officer of Kushtia General Hospital Dr Iqbal Hasan said Imran was given the necessary treatment, including anti-venom, immediately after being admitted.

"He has been kept under close observation. His condition has improved and he is now out of danger," the physician said.