Mentally Ill Man Blocks Mymensingh Highway With Knife and Banana Trees

ISHWARGANJ, Bangladesh — A man suffering from mental health issues obstructed a major highway in Mymensingh’s Ishwarganj Upazila on Saturday, bringing traffic to a standstill for nearly 90 minutes.

The incident occurred early in the morning in the Naori area of Mogtula Union, where 30-year-old Ramzan Ali placed banana trees across the Trishal-Nandail road and wielded a large knife to block passing vehicles. Ramzan is the son of Kalim Uddin, a sitting member of the local Union Parishad.

Witnesses and local authorities reported that the disruption began around 6:00 a.m., causing a significant backlog of vehicles on both sides of the thoroughfare. Bilkis Akter, a primary school teacher who was traveling toward Kishoreganj at the time, recounted that the man was aggressive toward commuters, particularly those wearing traditional Punjabi attire, and made erratic statements regarding the national government.

“He was shouting about his dissatisfaction with the new minister of religious affairs, which prompted him to block the road,” Akter said, noting that she contacted the national emergency service 999 to request police intervention.

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Local police arrived at the scene around 9:30 a.m. Following a brief period of negotiation with the help of residents and family members, the man was removed from the road and taken into custody, though he was later released back into his family’s care for continued medical treatment.

Officer-in-Charge of Ishwarganj Police Station, Rabiul Azam, confirmed that Ramzan has a documented history of mental illness. “The family has been seeking treatment for him for a long time, and he had previously been hospitalized at the mental hospital in Pabna,” Azam said.

Mogtula Union Parishad Chairman Shihab Uddin Akand stated that the young man has been struggling with his mental health for approximately 18 months. Following the disruption, the family has initiated plans to transport him back to a medical facility for further care.