Bangladeshi girl, treated in India for schizophrenia since 2012, repatriated

Bithi Akhtar's mother Safia Begum was at the Akhaura International Check Post (ICP) this morning to receive her.

India sends back Bangladeshi girl suffering from chronic schizophrenia after treating her for 7 years

Bithi Akhtar being sent back to Bangladesh through Akhaura ICP in Tripura on Wednesday.

A 28-year old Bangladeshi girl, who was detained seven years ago for illegally entering the country, was repatriated on Wednesday. Bithi Akhtar is suffering from chronic schizophrenia and was being treated at a government hospital here for the last few years.

Speaking to Indianexpress.com, Dr. Jyotirmoy Ghosh, State Programme Officer for Mental Health, said, “Bithi Akhtar was detained seven years ago at Kamalpur after she strayed into the Indian territory. She was admitted at the Government Modern Psychiatrist Hospital in Agartala through a reception order from Kamalpur in Dhalai district. She was suffering from chronic schizophrenia when they brought her to our hospital. Over the years, she has recovered 80-90 per cent. She was sent back to her family in Bangladesh today.”

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. Dr. Ghosh says Bithi could not say anything coherent when she was admitted at the hospital, but was later able to provide details of her family in Bangladesh. The girl will follow up on her treatment in her country.

Bithi hails from Lohagara village in Narail district of Bangladesh. She went missing in 2010, after being diagnosed with the mental illness. She was later found at Tripura’s Dhalai district in 2012 and admitted at the Agartala hospital.

The repatriation was engineered with the help of Bangladesh Assistant High Commission at Agartala.

Her mother Safia Begum along with other family members were at the Akhaura International Check Post (ICP) this morning to receive Bithi. She was handed over to her family after fulfilling official formalities.

“We are very happy to have our daughter back after all these years. We thank the Indian government for treating her, and sending her back,” Safia Begum said.

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The Government Modern Psychiatrist Hospital in Tripura earlier sent back five Bangladeshi citizens after treating them for schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. There are 17 other such people currently under treatment at the hospital. Most of them have recovered and are waiting to be re-united with their families in Bangladesh.