Nodi’s body exhumed for autopsy

Police yesterday exhumed the body of 13-year-old Nodi Akter, six months after her death at Saudi Arabia, and three months after the burial at the capital's Khilgaon graveyard. 

Sub-inspector Jakir Hossain of Kalabagan Police Station sent the body to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for inquest report and autopsy.

The exhumation started around 12pm, with executive magistrate Mosharraf Hossain overseeing the work. Nodi's mother Beauty Begum and father Dulal Sheikh were present during the exhumation.

According to DMCH sources, they have received the corpse and will perform the autopsy today, once they receive necessary papers.

Nodi was sent to Saudi Arabia in March 2019, with a passport falsely listing her age as 27. According to Nodi's mother, after failing to contact Nodi for more than a week, she contacted Dhaka Export—the recruiting agency that sent her to KSA.

The agency then informed her that Nodi committed suicide August 14 last year.

On October 30, her body arrived at Dhaka airport, and according to Beauty, police hurriedly buried her, despite their request for an autopsy.

"My daughter was murdered. She was facing trouble since she left for Saudi Arabia, and she told me several times to request Lalon [owner of the recruiting agency] to take her back. Although I repeatedly informed the agency about this, they didn't take any action," Beauty said.

"I'm happy that they have exhumed my daughter's corpse. But along with the inquest report and autopsy, I want them to perform DNA test too," she demanded.

Nodi's family filed a case with Kalabagan Police Station on October 14 last year.

According to women rights organisation Narimukti, which is closely overseeing the case, Nodi's parents have been visiting police stations, courts and government offices for a long time to seek a proper investigation and trial.