Doctors unsure of Rajan’s cause of death even after autopsy

Despite completing the autopsy, the doctors at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital’s (ShSMCH) Forensic Medicine Department are yet to confirm the cause of death of Dr Rajan Karmakar, the son-in-law of Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.

The autopsy of Rajan, who was an associate professor at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University (BSMMU), was conducted at the ShSMCH morgue on Monday morning.

Prof Dr Selim Reza, chief of ShSMC forensic department, said: “We are not sure yet how Dr Rajan actually died although we are done with the primary autopsy.”

The heart and tissues from the deceased’s stomach for the viscera tests were collected and would be sent to the lab to determine the cause of death, he added.

“The lab will also conduct histopathology tests to avoid further confusion,” Selim said.

Dr Rajan, who was also a notable maxillofacial surgery expert, was brought dead to Square Hospital in the city’s Panthapath at 3:45am on Sunday by members of his wife Dr Krishna Rani Majumder’s family.

His family members, colleagues and friends later claimed that Rajan’s death was not natural and that he was murdered. They demanded a proper autopsy without any influence.

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In accordance with Rajan's family's complaint and demands, police sent his body to ShSMCH on Sunday evening for autopsy to determine the cause of death. 

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police on Sunday night accepted the complaint from Rajan's uncle Sujon Karmaker and said a case would be recorded too if the autopsy report indicates any irregularities.

Contacted on Monday afternoon, police said they were still waiting for the report.

Bangladesh Dental Society leaders, Rajan’s friends, and well-wishers on Sunday had called for postponing the body handover process and his funeral after the full autopsy report was published to address the irregularities, if there were any.

But, ShSMCH authorities said Rajan's family was handed over the body after the autopsy Monday morning.

When contacted, Rajan's cousin Ovi Karmaker later in the afternoon said Rajan's body was taken to his ancestral village in Begumganj of Noakhali for the funeral following the family’s decision.

He, however, said the schedule of Rajan’s last rites was yet to be fixed.