Govt mulls exhumation as autopsies delayed

FE Team | Published: July 20, 2025 00:36:58

The government may carry out autopsies on the victims of the Gopalganj violence, including by exhuming bodies if necessary, Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting immigration preparations at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's third terminal, the home adviser confirmed that autopsies are already being conducted on some of the victims whose bodies were brought to Dhaka, reports bdnews24.com.
"But some families took the bodies away before autopsy could be performed," he said. "If needed, the bodies will be exhumed for postmortem."
Gopalganj turned into a flashpoint of political violence on 16 July when clashes broke out between supporters of the National Citizen Party (NCP), local Awami League activists, and law enforcement personnel during an NCP rally.
At least four people died amid the clashes, while a fifth, 32-year-old rickshaw-puller Ramjan Munshi, succumbed to bullet injuries early Friday at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Hospital police outpost in-charge Inspector Md Faruk confirmed that Ramjan's body was kept in the morgue for autopsy.
Meanwhile, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told UNB that Gopalganj police are likely to seek a court order on Sunday to exhume three of the four victims' bodies for postmortem examinations. One of the victims, a Hindu man, was cremated by his family, making an autopsy impossible in that case.
Mr Alam noted that the families of all four initially deceased forcibly removed the bodies from Gopalganj General Hospital before standard medical procedures could be conducted. "This disrupted medical and legal protocol," he said.
The press secretary said a formal committee has been formed by the interim government to investigate the July 16 incident. The high-powered body has been instructed to submit a full report to the Chief Adviser's Office within two weeks. "We are confident this process will ensure accountability and uncover the facts - what happened, to whom, and by whom," he added.
Responding to questions about whether intelligence agencies failed to anticipate or prevent the violence, Home Adviser Jahangir said, "A committee has already been formed. It will determine who is responsible."
Criticising what he called speculation from commentators, he said, "The answers to many questions are already in the live coverage. The rest is just speculation from air-conditioned rooms."
Turning to his inspection at the airport terminal, the adviser said the government would require around 400 personnel for immigration operations at the new terminal. "I came to assess preparations and manpower needs."