Death of siblings due to pesticide: MD, chairman of pest control company arrested

Detectives in a drive have arrested the managing director (MD) and chairman of DCS Organisation Ltd, a pest control company, which worked at the home of a family in Dhaka's Bashundhara, following which the family fell sick and two siblings died while undergoing treatment.

Ashraf, chairman of the company, and Farhad, its MD, were arrested on Thursday (8 June) from Tangail and Brahmanbaria districts, KN Roy Niyoti, DMP's additional deputy commissioner (media), confirmed to The Business Standard.  

Acting on a tip-off, a team of DB from Lalbagh division conducted drives in Tangail and Brahmanbaria, and arrested the duo, Niyoti added.

They are now on their way to Dhaka, he said.

On Sunday (4 June), Shayan Mobarrat Zahin, 15, and Shahir Mobarrat Zayan, 9, fell sick after the pesticide was used at their home in Dhaka's Bashundhara area.

Mobarak Hossain, father of the two, had hired DCS Organisation Ltd for pest control. Police and the children's family said the pest control service sprayed insecticide at their new home in Bashundhara's Block I on 2 June.

The family members left the house after the insecticide was used. They returned to the house couple of days later and fell sick after inhaling the pesticide, and they were rushed to the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.

The two children died soon after.

On Monday (5 June), Mobarak Hossain filed a case accusing the pest control company of causing death by negligence. 

Speaking to The Business Standard today, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch Chief Harun Or Rashid said, "Children and elderly suffer from various physical problems including breathing problems. Pesticide company officials needed to realise that cockroaches and other insecticides can be harmful to human life, especially in times of intense heat. But the company owners sprayed these pesticides with clumsy workers without realising the health risks or advising family members to take proper safety measures, resulting in the loss of two children's lives and illness of other family members." 

This aluminium phosphate-rich pesticide can be used in large garment and seed warehouses or non-residential areas. But such toxic items cannot be used at home. If they are used in a house, it should be completely closed for 72 to 96 hours. It is believed that the chemical items in the pesticide used in this case were not in the right proportion, the DB chief added.

He also said during interrogation of the accused, how and where these toxic items were collected from, whether it was approved, whether its chemical ratio was correct, how harmful they are to the human body will be scrutinised.