A family stored a takeout birthday meal for several days. Two children later fell ill and died after eating it

Two children have died in Dhaka’s Moghbazar area after falling ill, with relatives saying they had eaten food ordered from a restaurant that had been stored for several days.

The victims were identified 14-month-old Ilham Chowdhury and his 10-year-old sister Afrida Chowdhury, a third-grade student at Viqarunnisa Noon School.

They were taken to the hospital on Saturday after becoming seriously unwell. Both later died while undergoing treatment, police said.

According to family members, food had been ordered on Dec 16 to mark Afrida’s birthday. Some of the food was taken out of the refrigerator and eaten by the family on Friday, after which they began to feel ill.

Afrida was taken to Rushmono Hospital on Saturday morning, where she died around 7am. Shortly afterwards, her younger brother began vomiting and was taken to Moghbazar Community Hospital, where he also died later in the day.

Police said the bodies were recovered from a freezing van at a residential building near the Wireless intersection and sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for post-mortem examinations.

Sub-Inspector Suman Mia of Hatirjheel Police Station said the children’s parents were also taken ill and hospitalised.