The High Court has issued a rule asking why directives should not be issued to appoint female doms at hospitals across Bangladesh where post-mortem examinations are conducted on women’s bodies.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Md. Asif Hasan issued the rule on Sunday.
Advocate Md. Monir Uddin appeared in court on behalf of the petitioner. The writ petition was filed seeking instructions to appoint female domes at hospitals conducting autopsies to ensure privacy, dignity, and respect for religious sentiments during the post-mortem examination of women’s bodies.
Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Monir Uddin filed the writ petition in the public interest. The petition named the Health Secretary, the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and other relevant authorities as respondents.
Earlier, Advocate Monir Uddin had submitted an application to the DGHS seeking the appointment of at least one female dome at hospitals where post-mortem examinations are conducted. After receiving no response, he moved the High Court with the writ petition.
The petition stated that Bangladesh is a country with strong religious values and that, under Islam and other faiths, women’s bodies are expected to be kept with modesty and privacy after death. It argued that although an autopsy is a legal procedure, the presence or physical handling of a deceased woman by unrelated men is not acceptable from a religious and social perspective.
The petition further stated that there have been media reports in the past alleging inappropriate acts by men involving the bodies of deceased women. It argued that the presence of female domes would help protect the privacy and dignity of women’s remains.
The writ said that when a woman dies in a road accident or for any other reason, her family is already in deep emotional distress. Learning that a male staff member will conduct the post-mortem of their loved one can add to their suffering. If female domes performed such duties, families could receive some emotional reassurance during such difficult times.
The petition also noted that women are now working alongside men in all sectors of society. Appointing female domes for autopsies would help address religious concerns and reduce gender-based inequality.
It further stated that ensuring the protection and dignity of female patients and deceased women is a modern social necessity. According to human rights principles, respect for an individual’s privacy should continue even after death.
The petition also alleged that there have been incidents of sexual abuse involving the bodies of deceased women by male domes in morgues.
It referred to an allegation from October 22, 2025, involving the body of a young woman kept for autopsy at the Mymensingh Medical College morgue. The petition stated that a morgue dome named Abu Saeed (29) was arrested following the allegation.
It also mentioned the arrest of Munna Bhagat (20), nephew of Joton Kumar Pal, in connection with an allegation of sexual abuse of a corpse at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital’s morgue on November 20, 2020. The petition stated that he had confessed after his arrest.
The writ petition also cited the case of Kenneth Douglas, a morgue attendant in the US state of Ohio. It stated that Douglas (60) admitted to having sexual relations with around 100 female bodies brought to the morgue while he worked night shifts between 1976 and 1992.
Considering these issues, the petition sought directives for appointing one female dome at every hospital in Bangladesh where post-mortem examinations are performed and for taking necessary measures to protect the dignity of women’s remains.
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