Bhakta Sarker’s autopsy report stuck due to negligence of doctors, say police

The report on the autopsy of Bhakta Sarker, who was allegedly murdered for trying to protect his niece from local goons in Old Dhaka, is yet to see the light due to negligence of doctors, police say.

Bhakta, a carpenter, was hit hard on his head on Mar 13. He later died at Nawabganj Upazila Health Complex.

His brother Sushant Sarker started a murder case accusing his neighbour, 22-year-old ‘Hasan’ and his two friends – ‘Shakil’ and ‘Abdullah’. 

Bhakta’s elder sister Moni Sarker, 40, her son ‘Sagar’, 13, sister-in-law Kanon Sarker, 38, and her daughter Koyel Sarker, 18, were taking pictures on a mobile phone near their residence in Sonabaju village under Nawabganj Police Station on Mar 13.

The three suspects asked Sagar to transfer Koyel’s photos to their mobile phones. As he refused, they started to assault him and threatened to kill him, according to the case dossier.

Bhakta had a tiff with the three later in that day but the matter was resolved by two elders of the neighbourhood.

Around 7:40pm that day, someone came from behind and hit Bhakta’s head with a rod and fled the scene.

Police could not prepare the chargesheet as the autopsy report is yet to arrive, said Investigating Officer Akhil Sarker.

Alluding to the doctors of Sir Salimullah Medical College or SSMC, he said: ”They are not act8ng in a responsible manner.”

bdnews24.com tried to reach Prof Belayet Hossain of SSMC Forensic Department on Aug 5. The doctor said he was outside office. 

He could not be reached on his phone afterwards.

IO Akhil, also a sub-inspector at Nawabganj Police Station, said a female physician, who was in-charge of preparing the autopsy report, was recently posted somewhere else.

Among the accused, Hasan is currently behind bars. He has confessed to his crime in the court, police say.

The rest of the accused were freely moving in the neighbourhood, Bhakta’s relatives have said.

“The fugitives come from well-off families. They have relatives in Italy. They are trying to manipulate the autopsy report and the investigation,” Bhakta’s uncle Khagen Sarker told bdnews24.com.