Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh (2020) đ§đ©
The Story: In July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a rumor spread like wildfire through the slums of Old Dhaka: a mysterious, sweet-tasting green syrup called "Miami Green" could cure the coronavirus and other illnesses. Desperate and impoverished residents, lacking access to proper healthcare, rushed to buy the cheap, unlicensed concoction from local vendors. For a few days, it seemed like a miracle cure had arrived in the alleyways.đ
The Twist: The "medicine" was not a cure, but a lethal cocktail containing toxic levels of a sedative used to treat anxiety. Within a week, over a dozen people died, and hundreds more were hospitalizedânot from COVID, but from the very substance they believed would save them. The horror lay in the tragic chain of exploitation: opportunists peddling poison, fueled by a deadly rumor, to a vulnerable population trapped by fear and poverty. It was not a single malicious act, but a perfect storm of misinformation and desperation that turned a supposed lifeline into a mass casualty event. đž