To avoid villagers' complaints!

Basanti Rani has to be kept chained by her family members as she has become a nuisance for the villagers when she is free.

The 26-year-od hysteria patient, daughter of Haripada Karmaker, 70, of Laxmirhat Dangapara village in Panchagarh's Debiganj upazila, has been passing her days in such condition for nearly ten years because of her unstable mental condition.

She appeals to villagers and passers-by to free her when she is tied to a jackfruit tree in front of their house during day time.

Her family members said they were compelled to tie her to a tree during day time as she steals valuables from others' houses and keeps them in another house.

Sometimes, despite not being involved, she is blamed for theft by neighbours.  

When this correspondent visited the house recently, Basanti, chained to a tree in front of their house, claimed that she is not mad. She even can write her name and address.

Basanti's younger brother Ratan Karmaker, a blacksmith and only bread earner of the family, said, “Basanti was a student of Class VIII when our elder sister was killed by her in-laws over 10 years ago.”

Soon after the death of their sister Basanti fell into a deep mental depression and discontinued her education, Ratan said.

Later, she took a job at an NGO and went to Rajshahi for a month-long training.  

Surprisingly, after returning home from Rajshahi she started suffering from hysteria, fell sick again, and left the job.

Then she started fleeing the house and whenever she had scope she picked up valuables from others' houses and put them in another.     

Finding no solution, family members decided to tie her to a tree with an iron chain to check her childish behaviour, Ratan said.

“We took her to Pabna Mental Hospital where doctors examined her and said she was not mad and told us to take her back home,” Ratan said, adding that they have already spent about Tk one lakh for her treatment but to no avail.

Acting Debiganj Upazila Social Welfare Officer Mohammad Khairul Alam said after knowing about the matter their representative visited the house and talked to the girl.

They will take necessary steps in this regard after getting instruction from the higher authorities, Khairul said.