Writ seeks appointment of female dom for autopsies of women’s bodies

A writ petition has been filed in the High Court seeking a directive to appoint female morgue attendants (widely known as doms) at hospitals to conduct or assist with the autopsies of deceased women.

The petition was filed on Monday by Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Monir Uddin in the public interest.

The respondents in the petition include the Health Secretary, the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and other relevant authorities.

Earlier, the lawyer had submitted an application to the Directorate General of Health Services requesting that every hospital in Bangladesh where autopsies are performed appoint at least one female morgue attendant. 

After receiving no response or remedy, he filed the writ petition.

According to the petition, Bangladesh is a country with strong religious values. It states that, in Islam as well as other religions, there are religious and cultural expectations that the bodies of deceased women should remain covered and treated with modesty. Although an autopsy is a legal procedure, the petition argues that physical contact with or the presence of unrelated men during the examination of a deceased woman is considered unacceptable in such contexts.

The petition further notes that there have previously been media reports alleging incidents of sexual abuse of deceased women by male morgue workers in Bangladesh. It argues that having female morgue attendants present during autopsies would help protect the privacy and dignity of deceased women, respect religious considerations, and reduce discrimination.

Referring to reports published in several news outlets, the petition states that on 22 October 2025, a morgue attendant named Abu Sayeed (29) was accused of sexually abusing the body of a young woman that had been kept at the Mymensingh Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy.