High Court issues rule on appointment of female mortuary assistants for autopsies of women

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The Bangladesh High Court has issued a rule asking authorities to explain why they should not be directed to appoint female mortuary assistants to perform autopsies on women at government hospitals. The bench, comprised of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md. Asif Hasan, issued the order on Sunday following a preliminary hearing on a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md. Monir Uddin.

The petition, filed on June 30, argues that the presence of female mortuary staff is essential to uphold the dignity and privacy of deceased women. The court has directed the health secretary, the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services, and other relevant respondents to provide a formal response to the rule.

Advocate Monir Uddin, who represented himself in court, initiated the legal challenge after his initial application to the health authorities on May 13 went unaddressed. In his filing, the petitioner emphasized that societal and religious norms in Bangladesh, which underscore the importance of modesty and privacy for women, are currently compromised during forensic examinations.

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The petition highlights that while autopsies are a necessary legal process, the handling of female remains by male staff often conflicts with religious teachings and human rights principles regarding post-mortem privacy. The applicant further argued that the current reliance on male staff has led to reports of mistreatment and incidents of abuse involving female remains, which has caused significant public concern.

Proponents of the measure contend that appointing female mortuary assistants is a modern, essential step toward ensuring gender equality in the workplace and protecting the fundamental rights of the deceased. By ensuring that women perform these procedures, the state could better safeguard the dignity of the dead, mitigate the risk of misconduct, and align institutional practices with contemporary human rights standards.