Protests erupt at Mental Health Institute over doctor's arrest

Doctors and employees have besieged the office of the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital's director in protest against the arrest of a physician in connection with the killing of a police officer.

The demonstration brought all medical activities at the hospital to a halt from 10 am Wednesday, much to the dismay of patients and their relatives who were left to wait for nearly two and a half hours. 

Dr Abdullah Al Mamun, registrar of the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, was arrested from his residence at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Staff Quarters on Tuesday in a case over the killing of ASP Anisul Karim by the employees of Mind Aid hospital in Adabor earlier this month.

The doctor stands accused of taking a 30 percent commission on every patient he recommended to Mind Aid, according to the police.

A Dhaka court later remanded Mamun for two days, allowing the police to interrogate him in their custody.

However, the disgruntled doctors and staffers of the Mental Health Institute claim that the police arrested a government health official from his home without informing the hospital authorities.

Seeing a lack of action from the hospital authorities in this regard, the protesters gathered outside the offices of some hospital officials, including the director, and locked them in their rooms on Wednesday.

“The law was violated in the arrest of Dr Mamun. He is a government official. His superiors needed to be informed before he could be arrested but the police did not do that," said a protestor.