Police have detained two employees of a rehabilitation centre in Dhaka after a 63-year-old man with a long history of mental illness was allegedly handcuffed and forcibly taken from his home in Mohammadpur.
The two men were detained during a police operation at the Lighthouse Rehabilitation Centre in Uttara’s Sector 11 on Wednesday night. They have been identified as Md Jasim Uddin, also known as Palash, 47, and Md Aminur Islam, 42. Police said the handcuffs allegedly used during the incident were also seized.
Md Jewel Rana, additional deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon Division, Mohammadpur zone, confirmed the arrests on Thursday.
The incident came to wider attention after a video showing the man being taken away in handcuffs circulated on social media. The footage triggered concern and criticism, prompting police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to a report submitted by the officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur Police Station to senior authorities, four to five people entered a house on Sir Syed Road in Mohammadpur on Tuesday night. They allegedly put handcuffs on the 63-year-old man, brought him downstairs by force and placed him in a microbus.
The episode caused alarm among other residents of the building, who witnessed the man being taken away under restraint.
Police later learned that the man had been suffering from a mental health condition for a considerable period. His family members live separately, and his younger brother had arranged for him to receive treatment at the Lighthouse Rehabilitation Centre in Uttara. Police said the man had previously been taken to the same centre.
Following the incident, police sought information about the centre through Uttara West Police Station. Their inquiries subsequently confirmed that the man had been taken from Mohammadpur to the rehabilitation facility.
Police also questioned the owner of the centre about the legal basis for using handcuffs while taking people to the facility. According to police, the owner failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. He reportedly acknowledged that handcuffs had been used on some individuals while they were being taken to the rehabilitation centre.
Jewel Rana said the centre had no authorisation to handcuff the patient. Police became aware of the incident after the video spread on social media and then initiated action against those involved.
The incident has brought renewed attention to the way people with mental health conditions are transported to rehabilitation facilities. While families may seek specialised care when a relative requires professional assistance, the use of physical restraints can raise serious questions about safety, dignity and lawful procedure, particularly when a person is taken from a private residence against their will.
The rehabilitation centre’s authorities could not immediately be reached for comment on the allegations.
The two detained employees were produced before the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court, police said. Further legal proceedings concerning them will be determined through the court process.
