Second Decomposed Body Found in Pallabi Highlights Risks for Elderly Living Alone

Police recovered the semi-decomposed body of a 55-year-old woman from a flat in the capital’s Pallabi on Wednesday (June 3) night.

The deceased, Selina Afroz, had been living alone in a flat in Pallabi Section-6 for the past 12 years. Officers forced entry and recovered the body after receiving a tip-off.

Inspector (Investigation) Md. Hanif of Pallabi Police Station stated the body has been sent to the morgue for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, and a case is currently being filed.

According to police records, Afroz last spoke to her nephew, Ashfaqur Rahman, by phone around 11:00 PM on May 26. With no further contact made since then, authorities suspect she passed away sometime between May 26 and June 3.

Family sources confirmed that Afroz, daughter of the late Khalilur and Afia Rahman, was estranged from her immediate family. Her husband, Mobinul Haque, and their two children currently reside in Canada. Afroz had previously lived with them but returned to Bangladesh following a family dispute, settling alone in the Pallabi apartment.

This is the second time recently that the decomposed body of an elderly woman has been found in the Pallabi area. These back-to-back incidents have renewed public discussions regarding the safety, mental health, and necessary community oversight for seniors living alone in the capital.

Police are awaiting the final autopsy report before proceeding further with the investigation.