Tiger Attack in Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat Injures Three, Including a Woman

Three people, including a woman, were injured in a tiger attack in the Amjhol border area of Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place in a paddy field near border pillar 905 in Amjhol, under Gotamari Union. Villagers chased the tiger, which eventually fled toward the border.

The injured are Sharifa Begum (34) of Amjhol village, Nazrul Islam of the same area, and Afsar Ali. Two of the injured, in serious condition, were sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

According to eyewitnesses, Sharifa Begum went into the paddy field in the afternoon looking for her goat. As she neared the border, she saw a tiger attacking a goat, and in fright she began screaming.

Hearing her screams, the tiger turned and attacked her. Neighbours rushed to the spot carrying sticks, at which point the enraged tiger also charged at the local residents.

In total, three people including Sharifa Begum were injured in the attack. When villagers collectively chased it, the tiger fled toward the border area. Eyewitnesses believe the locals' quick, brave response prevented a far worse outcome.

After the incident, the injured were first taken to Hatibandha Upazila Health Complex. When their condition deteriorated after primary treatment, doctors transferred the two seriously injured patients to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

Dr Mamun Rahman, a physician at the emergency department of Hatibandha Upazila Health Complex, said the tiger-attack victims had come to the hospital and received primary care. Because two of them were in critical condition, they were referred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for better treatment, he said.

Mosharraf Hossain, in-charge of the investigation centre at Hatibandha Police Station (OC-Investigation), said police were sent to the spot immediately after the news arrived. BGB members were also present there, and family members had taken the injured to Rangpur for treatment, he added.

For residents of the border neighbourhood of Amjhol, paddy fields and daily work lie right next to the frontier. When a wild animal enters a settlement from the forest side or across the border, ordinary people are exposed to direct danger, as happened this afternoon.

Panic spread through the area after the incident. Residents are anxious about going toward the paddy fields after dusk, since there is still no confirmed information about where the tiger went or whether it might return.

Tiger attacks are rare, but when they occur in a border area they raise serious questions about local safety, especially for people who go near the frontier every day to work their land or graze livestock.

Attention is now on the treatment of the injured. Further updates are expected on the two patients at Rangpur Medical College Hospital, and on whether forest officials or border guards release any new information about the tiger's movements.