Six unidentified bodies, believed to be victims of the 2023 anti-discrimination student movement in Bangladesh, were buried in Dhaka on Thursday, over a year after being kept unclaimed at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue.
The burial took place at Jurain graveyard after Anjuman Mufidul Islam, a charitable organization, received the bodies around noon. The handover was authorized following a court order.
Forensic reports indicated that the remains of the victims arrived at the morgue between August 7 and 14 of last year. On November 14, three youths – aged 20, 22 and 25 years — were arrested from a Jatrabari area. On the same day, a 32-year-old woman and his 30-year-old man were also took to the hospital, although where they died was not referenced. Seven days earlier, on 7 August, the body of a 25-year-old man came from Gulistan.
None of the six have been identified. Despite efforts through DNA analysis, police and forensic officials say no matches were found.
“DNA samples were taken, but identification couldn’t be confirmed,” said Dr. Kazi Golam Mukhlesur Rahman, who leads DMCH’s forensic department.
He added that one of the bodies had gunshot wounds. The others had signs of blunt force trauma.
Police said all six are believed to have died during or around the time of last year’s Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
DMP Joint Commissioner (Crime) Faruk Hossain confirmed that the burial followed a legal process.
“Since identification wasn’t possible, the court ordered their burial as unclaimed,” he said.
Still, evidence was preserved, including DNA records and autopsy documentation.
“If family members ever come forward, we can revisit these cases,” Hossain added.
The Shahbagh police prepared post-mortem reports. All six autopsies were conducted by the DMCH forensic unit.
As protests continue to echo across the country in various forms, the burial of these six bodies closes a chapter for now — though questions about their identities, and what exactly happened to them, remain unanswered.
And for those watching from the outside, it raises another question too: how many more remain missing, just like them?
