Bangladeshi Schizophrenia Patient Lost in Tripura Returned to Homeland

Agartala, October 31, 2019:

Bithi Akter, a 28-year-old girl from Lohagra under Narial District of Bangladesh, who suffers from chronic schizophrenia, has been reunited with her family after ten unbearably long years apart. The Bangladeshi woman was returned to her country through Agartala-Akhaura check post.

Bithi is a chronic schizophrenic patient and ten years back, crossed the border to Tripura. Since the last seven years, she was undergoing treatment in Narshingarh Modern Psychiatry Hospital, located at Agartala. Bithi was detained by BSF at Kamalpur under Dhalai district of Tripura seven years back.

ALSO READ: Tripura High Court Rejects Bail Plea of Hospitalized MLA Badal Choudhury

After she had made some recovery, the process of her safe repatriation was started. Indian Government, Bangladesh Foreign ministry and assistant high commission of Bangladesh at Agartala worked together to reinstate Bithi to her homeland.

Bithis’s mother also expressed her gratitude towards the Indian government and Tripura Government. She said, “I thanked the government of Tripura and this country for taking care of my child and bringing her back to my life.”

ALSO READ: Tripura: Himanta Biswa Sarma Provides Strategic Boost to BJP Ahead of Autonomous Council Election

Her mother Shafia Akter and other family members were present at the check post to receive their girl. Shafia had suddenly gone missing in 2009, and efforts to locate her by her family bore no fruits.

Kiriti Chakma, assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh at Agartala said that this was possible only because of good relations between the Indian Government and its Bangladeshi counterpart.

Dr. Jyotirmoy Ghosh, doctor of the Tripura mental hospital said that the Bithi is now 80-90 percent recovered from her illness. The doctor also informed that 17 other patients are now admitted in the Narshingarh Modern Psychiatry Hospital from Bangladesh.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.