Unclaimed bodies, missing persons

Last month, a student movement began with demands for reform in the government job quota system. In response, the Sheikh Hasina government used excessive force to suppress the movement, resulting in the highest number of casualties in any movement in the country's history. Many people were seriously injured, and a significant number remain missing. Shockingly, some unidentified bodies are lying in hospital morgues, with relatives moving from hospital to hospital in search of their loved ones, while others remain unclaimed.

During the agitation, the emergency departments of several hospitals in Dhaka were overwhelmed. Reports indicate that many bodies were handed over to relatives without proper autopsies, and some bodies were never registered. Fearing they might never get back the bodies if delayed, relatives desperately sought to take the bodies by any means necessary. The anguish of losing a loved one is profound, but when the body is not recovered, the grief is even greater. Finding a body provides some solace, but the pain of uncertainty-of not knowing if a missing person is alive or dead-endures.

Currently, three unidentified bodies are stored in the freezer of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in the capital, while eight more are in the morgue of Dhaka Medical College. These bodies were brought to the hospitals between July 16 and August 6, all bearing bullet wounds. No identity, address, or claimant has been found for these individuals, and the hospital authorities received little cooperation from the police at that time. The hospitals have issued notices to help identify the bodies and are welcoming individuals, institutions, or organisations interested in taking the bodies for burial, as they are at risk of decomposition.

If no claimants are found for the deceased, it is imperative that their photographs and DNA samples are collected before cremation. This would at least offer a chance for identification by relatives even after the bodies are cremated. Meanwhile, many people are still missing, with some having disappeared after participating in the movement. Among them are students, making it crucial to find these missing individuals. Steps must be taken to identify the dead bodies and trace those who are still unaccounted for.

Ashikujaman Syed

Research Assistant

Bioinformatics Research Lab

Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID)

E-Mail: [email protected]