Shamima Nasrin Jahan, who was known as Duleali, died on a pavement in Mirpur, Dhaka, after struggling with mental health issues. Despite efforts by a young man to get her treatment, she could not be saved. Her death has raised questions about the state of mental health care in Bangladesh.
Duleali was found by Musha Karim, a development administrator at Heroes for All, a social service organization. He tried to get her treatment at eight different hospitals, but she could not be admitted due to lack of identification and legal guardian. She was eventually admitted to the National Institute of Mental Health with the help of SM Ziauddin Haider, the Prime Minister's Health Advisor.
However, her physical condition deteriorated rapidly, and she died at Sohrawardi Medical College Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on May 31. After her death, her identity was discovered, but she was buried as an unidentified person. Her family members found out about her death through social media and came to Dhaka to see her grave.
Duleali's brother, Mizanur Rahman, said that she had been suffering from mental health issues for a long time but never harmed anyone. Her husband, Shahidul Islam Hawladar, a police constable, did not file a general diary (GD) after she went missing. Her family members accused him of not doing enough to find her.
The incident has raised questions about the state of mental health care in Bangladesh. The National Mental Health Survey (2018-19) by the National Institute of Mental Health found that 18% of people aged 18 and above in the country suffer from mental health issues.
