Arrest of NIMH registrar over ASP’s death: Doctors, staffers observe work abstention

Doctor and other staffers of National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital (NIMH) today staged demonstration and observed work abstention to protest the arrest of the hospital's registrar Dr Abdullah Al Mamun in connection with the death of senior ASP Anisul Karim, who was allegedly beaten to death by the staffers of a private mental health hospital.

They also besieged the office of the hospital director Prof Dr Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder to press home their three-point demand.

The demands include: explanation on Dr Mamun's arrest, what they described as "without authorities' permission as he is a government employee", withdrawal of cases against him and his reinstatement, assurance from the Health Ministry and Directorate General of Health Services for proper work environment without intimidation.

The doctors and staffers began their protest around 10:00am. Marching through hospital corridor, they besieged the director's office, said a staffer of the hospital.

Initially, most of the hospital employees observed work abstention, causing woes for the patients.

But later in early afternoon, many of them joined work considering the patients' plight, he said.

The protesters besieged the director's office till 2:45pm. They suspended their demonstration for today and let the director and other senior doctors leave. They, however, said they would demonstrate tomorrow again, said a doctor of the hospital.

Dr Mamun, who was arrested yesterday, referred the police officer Anisul from NIMH to Mind Aid Psychiatry and De-Addiction Hospital where he was "beaten to death". Dr Mamun is also a director of the private hospital, police said.