A case has been filed against four individuals, including the husband, father-in-law, and mother-in-law of Nafisa Tabassum Dhipra, over her death in Dhanmondi, alleging negligent death, torture, and destruction of evidence through burial without an autopsy.
The application was filed on Tuesday before the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana by the victim’s relative, Md Moshior Rahman Shah. The court accepted the application and ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate and submit a report.
Those named as accused in the case are the deceased’s mother-in-law Siddika Sultana, husband Rahmat Rashid, father-in-law Mohammad Abdur Rashid (head of the Cardiac Department at BIRDEM Hospital), and Simu Naser, editor of Earki.com, a satirical online platform. Several others have been named as unidentified accused.
The matter was confirmed by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Farhad Hossain.
The case application states that Dhipra married her classmate Rahmat Rashid and they have a two-year-old son. After the marriage, she was allegedly subjected to physical and mental torture, leading to postpartum depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Despite being a doctor herself, the accused neglected Dhipra’s medical care and obstructed her preparations for the FCPS examination, the application claims.
Before her death, she had posted about domestic abuse on a Facebook group called “Female Doctors in Bangladesh.
According to the complaint, from 2 June, Dhipra was locked in a room for three consecutive days without food and was not allowed to see her son. Her mother went to the flat on 4 June after receiving news and found her daughter locked inside.
Upon being released, Dhipra hugged her mother and said, “Mother, I want to have a meal.” She then collapsed on the floor.
The application further alleges that Dhipra was not taken to any nearby hospital promptly after falling ill. She died on the way to BIRDEM Hospital after a delay.
The complaint further alleges that the accused used their influence to bypass a mandatory autopsy and quickly issued a death certificate to facilitate a hurried burial.
The plaintiff contends that this was not a natural death but “premeditated murder” and a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence.
Plaintiff’s lawyer Farhad Hossain said the delay in taking legal action was because the accused are influential, and the victim’s parents are religious-minded and helpless. The court has been requested to take necessary legal action against the accused, issue arrest warrants, and conduct a proper investigation.
