Police recovered the body of a burnt teenager in a pond who had fled from the burn unit of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), raising question about hospital's security measures.
Around 10am on Monday, the bandaged body was recovered from the pond of Haji Muhammad Mohsin Government High School in the city, adjacent to the historic madrasa field.
According to the police, 15-year-old Naveed Islam's body was burnt in a gas cylinder fire on February 2. He was admitted to the burn unit of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital later that day. However, he went missing around 7am on Monday. Subsequently, at around 9:30am, locals discovered a bandaged body floating in a pond in the city's Pathanpara area. They alerted the fire service and Rajpara police station, who recovered Naveed's body.
Rita Begum, Naveed's mother, asserted that it was suicide immediately after the body was recovered. However, this claim has not been confirmed yet.
After investigation, it was revealed that Naveed Islam was the son of Khademul Islam from the Terokhadia area of Rajshahi metropolis. His parents divorced a few years ago, and Naveed had been living with his mother since then. Rita Begum claimed that Naveed was mentally unstable and had attempted suicide by setting himself on fire on February 2, leading to his hospitalization.
Rita Begum added that Naveed escaped from the hospital when she went to the washroom around 7:30am on Monday. Despite extensive searches, he could not be located, and his body was later recovered from the pond of a government high school.
At the time of admission to the hospital, Naveed had 18% burns, and the doctor referred him to Dhaka for further treatment. However, his mother refused to transfer him to Dhaka, and he was treated in the burn unit of RMCH.
Relatives of other patients in the burn unit alleged that Naveed's mother tortured him during his hospital stay, causing distress among other patients and their families. Rajpara police station is investigating the incident as a case of wrongful death.
The police mentioned that there is a limited police presence in the hospital, and the responsibility for security lies with the hospital authorities. Although CCTV footage from the hospital shows Naveed leaving alone, there is no CCTV footage around the pond where the body was recovered. The investigation is ongoing, and the cause of death will be determined after further examination.
Brigadier General AFM Shamim Ahmed, director of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), said that 700-800 patients leave the hospital every day, and not everyone's condition is closely monitored. The CCTV footage showed Naveed leaving the hospital at 7:22am.
Additionally, it was revealed that Naveed had previously attempted suicide, but his mother did not inform the hospital staff about his mental instability. If such information had been provided, appropriate action would have been taken.
The director expressed sadness over the incident and emphasized the hospital's commitment to patient care.
