- A nine-year-old mentally disabled girl has been held captive in a cage for six years in Rajbari.
- Since she was three years old, Sheela Das has been caged by her family in Purbaful Kaunnar village, Kalukhali Upazila.
- Her family said Sheela was confined in the cage because she was acting violently toward passers-by.
RAJBARI, Bangladesh – A nine-year-old mentally disabled girl has been held captive in a cage for six years in Rajbari.
Since she was three years old, Sheela Das has been caged by her family in Purbaful Kaunnar village, Kalukhali Upazila.
Her family said Sheela was confined in the cage because she was acting violently toward passers-by. She can’t walk and can only crawl.
The child’s mother, Chandana Sheel, said, “I took her to India for treatment, where doctors said she has a disability. She can’t do anything on her own.”
Kazi Shariful Islam, chairman of Local Union Parishad (UP), said, “The child’s family is financially indigent. I have managed an allowance card, but the amount is not enough for treatment.”
According to Rajbari Civil Surgeon Mohammad Ibrahim, Sheela has had poor brain development and requires therapy from a neurological specialist.
“Being in a cage is inhumane,” he said. ‘”The child can get help from the hospital’s Patient Welfare Association or the Department of Social Services. There are accommodations for such children under social services.”
However, acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Ismail Hossain of Kalukhali said the girl is being kept under a safety net so that her parents can care for her and feed her.
“There is no provision for keeping such disabled children in government facilities or with social services in Kalukhali, and Sheela cannot live without parents,” Ismail added.
Sheela is the middle child of a barber and a stay-at-home mom. All they have for the three children is a clay cottage with a tin roof.
Chandana looks after her daughter even while working in the kitchen next to her cage.
