Bangladesh Needs Modern Forensic Medicine Departments, Not Untrained Hands

Dr. Mohammad Mizanur Rahman

By Dr Mohammad Mizanur Rahman

In Bangladesh, the term “লাশ কাটা ঘর” (Lash Kata Ghor) Autopsy room, literally meaning the room where bodies are cut, evokes a mixture of fear, curiosity, and sometimes even disgust. Yet behind this culturally loaded phrase lies an essential branch of modern medicine and justice, forensic medicine.

A post-mortem examination is not simply the act of cutting a dead body open; it is a scientific and legal investigation into the cause of death. Each incision, each organ examined, and each tissue collected should tell a story, a story of life, death, and sometimes, injustice. When done properly by trained forensic specialists, a post-mortem can uncover murder masked as suicide, medical negligence hidden behind paperwork, or poisoning disguised as natural causes.

But in the government medical college hospitals of Bangladesh, the reality is painfully different. The so-called “Lash Kata Ghor” often looks more like a neglected storeroom than a medical laboratory. Dim lights, broken fans, and rusted tables dominate the scene. There are no digital records, no modern tools, and, most shockingly, no qualified forensic technicians in many hospitals.

Instead, “Domes”, untrained and often illiterate helpers, are entrusted with cutting the bodies and preparing them for examination. They are not doctors, not pathologists, and not even trained medical assistants. Yet in many hospitals, they are the ones who actually perform the dissection, while the attending medical officers or forensic doctors merely observe or sign reports.

This practice is not only unethical but also dangerous. The post-mortem is a medico-legal procedure whose findings can determine whether someone is convicted or acquitted, whether a death is ruled natural or criminal. Allowing unqualified workers to handle this process undermines the integrity of justice and dishonors the dignity of the dead.

Take, for example, the situation at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, one of the country’s largest medical institutions. Reports and witnesses have long described how “Domes” handle the entire process — from bringing the body in, to opening it up, to sewing it back. The doctors often rely on the Dome’s experience to identify internal organs or detect “unusual” features. In many cases, the Dome dictates what the doctor writes in the report. It is an open secret that some post-mortems are completed in less than fifteen minutes, a process that should ideally take hours of careful examination and documentation.

Similarly, at Rajshahi and Chittagong, Mymensingh Medical College Hospitals, local journalists and staff have recounted horrifying scenes: bodies stacked on top of one another, without refrigeration; tools washed with tap water; blood and tissues left uncovered. The smell is unbearable, but worse is the lack of accountability.

In one shocking example from a district hospital in 2023, a young woman’s death was initially recorded as “suicide.” The autopsy was handled by a Dome, with minimal oversight. Later, after exhumation and a second post-mortem conducted by trained specialists in Dhaka, it was revealed that the woman had been strangled and beaten, not self-harmed. An innocent family nearly lost their chance at justice because of unqualified handling at the first stage.

Such cases are not isolated. They highlight a systemic failure , a complete neglect of forensic medicine as a professional discipline in Bangladesh. While the rest of the medical field has advanced in diagnostics, imaging, and surgery, forensic medicine remains trapped in a century-old practice where crude dissection replaces scientific investigation.

The situation is made worse by the attitude of some government doctors and administrators, who treat the forensic department as an unwanted obligation. Many medical graduates avoid specialization in this field, seeing it as dirty, low-prestige, and emotionally draining. Forensic physicians, despite playing a crucial role in justice, are often denied research opportunities, proper lab facilities, or even respect from peers.

This lack of professionalism is reflected in the very setup of the forensic departments. Few hospitals have refrigeration systems for preserving bodies; most rely on old, malfunctioning coolers. Protective gear, such as gloves, masks, and gowns, is reused or missing altogether. The instruments used , blunt scalpels, worn-out saws, and cracked measuring cylinders- are relics from decades past. There is no digital imaging, no histopathology backup, no toxicology integration, and no proper data system for medico-legal records.

Contrast this with forensic facilities in countries like India, Malaysia, or the United Kingdom, where autopsies are performed using digital X-rays, 3D scanning, and even AI-assisted virtual autopsy systems known as “virtopsy”. These systems allow doctors to detect fractures, internal bleeding, and tissue anomalies without making a single incision, maintaining both accuracy and dignity.

In those countries, forensic medicine is a respected science, not a backroom activity. Every autopsy is carried out under strict hygiene protocols, with documentation, photography, and supervision. Technicians undergo years of training, and doctors are bound by ethical and legal accountability.

In Bangladesh, however, this modern approach remains a distant dream. Most forensic units operate with zero budget for modernization. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare rarely allocates separate funds for forensic upgrades. As a result, the profession survives not through science but through habit , a grim routine maintained by Domes and ignored by policymakers.

The question then arises: How long will Bangladesh continue to equate forensic medicine with “Lash Kata Ghor”?

Forensic medicine must be reclaimed from its image as a dirty corner of the hospital and reestablished as a scientific and academic field. Each medical college should be mandated to build a modern forensic medicine department, equipped with high-standard autopsy rooms, refrigeration, sterilization units, and digital systems for photography and reporting.

Most importantly, the recruitment system must change. The use of Domes — untrained workers — should be phased out and replaced by certified forensic technicians. These professionals should receive structured education, possibly through a new Graduate program under the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) name, Bachelor of Forensic Medicine.

Besides, forensic doctors should receive continuous training in modern autopsy techniques, toxicology, and AI-based diagnostic tools. Regular workshops and collaborations with international forensic institutes could bridge the knowledge gap and elevate the standard of practice.

At the policy level, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health, and the Police Bureau of Investigation must coordinate to ensure that every death investigation is handled with scientific rigor and ethical transparency.

Ultimately, a civilized nation treats its dead with respect, and justice begins in the post-mortem room. A country that allows untrained hands to cut open human bodies in the name of procedure fails not only in medicine but also in morality.

The transformation from “Lash Kata Ghor” to “Forensic Science Department” is not about language , it is about conscience. It is about building a system where truth, dignity, and professionalism replace ignorance, fear, and negligence.

Bangladesh deserves modern forensic medicine, not just domes with knives, but doctors with integrity, science, and compassion. Only then can we ensure that every death tells its true story, and every life lost receives the justice it deserves.