A 41-year-old man, who suffered from severe neurological and mental health conditions, was lynched by an angry mob at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka after being mistaken for a child snatcher.

The victim, identified as Md Alam Sheikh, was a resident of the Tin Shed area in Rupnagar, Dhaka. According to police reports, the tragedy unfolded late on Wednesday night around 11:00 pm outside the paediatric ward of the hospital. Sub-Inspector (SI) Rimon Miah of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station confirmed the details on Thursday morning, noting that police managed to verify Alam’s identity using fingerprint matching technology.

Witness accounts gathered by investigating officers indicate that Alam had been wandering aimlessly near the paediatric ward on the upper floors of the hospital building. His presence drew the suspicion of relatives attending to admitted children, who confronted him and demanded to know his business there. Owing to his impaired cognitive abilities, Alam failed to provide a coherent explanation. Suspicion swiftly spiralled into hostility as bystanders raised cries accusing him of being a child thief.

The situation escalated violently when the crowd dragged Alam downstairs to the hospital premises, where a crowd subjected him to a sustained, brutal assault. He succumbed to his injuries on the spot before law enforcement could intervene.

Upon receiving a emergency call via the national helpline 999, a team from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station dispatched to the hospital to secure the area and recover the body. Investigations subsequently established contact with the victim’s family, who revealed that Alam suffered from mental illness following a severe stroke, which frequently left him disoriented and unable to communicate effectively.

Police completed the inquest report and transferred the body to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College morgue for an autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of death. Law enforcement officials confirmed that Alam’s family has been notified to collect his remains, while an investigation remains underway to identify those involved in the fatal mob attack.

This incident underscores a persistent and dangerous pattern of vigilante violence and mob lynching across the country, often fuelled by unverified rumours and mass hysteria surrounding child abduction. Public health facilities and crowded urban spaces have repeatedly witnessed such tragic extrajudicial killings, where vulnerable individuals—particularly those suffering from mental health disorders—fall victim to unvetted accusations before law enforcement agencies can arrive to maintain order.