Death Certificate claims 'Heart Failure', but body bears signs of injury!

A massive wooden box with a piece of paper attached to it—a death certificate that reads "natural death." As relatives lift the coffin lid with trembling hands, a wave of collective grieving echoes through the room. Maruf Sarkar of Habiganj has returned from Saudi Arabia as a corpse after five years. Before the burial, family members noticed dark marks of injury all over his body. What was written as "natural" on paper stood as a brutal testament of something highly unnatural across Maruf's lifeless body.

Maruf Sarkar is not alone. For thousands of Bangladeshis who left their homeland in search of a livelihood, the final destination of their dreams is becoming a coffin. Along with the coffin comes a death certificate, which often states the cause of death as "heart failure," "stroke," or "natural death." However, upon opening the coffin, family members frequently discover signs of injury, evidence of torture, or inconsistencies that defy explanation.

Research indicates that nearly 27 percent of deaths among migrant workers are unnatural. Allegrations exist that such death certificates are often issued to conceal the actual cause of death. Even when the bodies are returned to the country, no autopsies are conducted. Consequently, the burials take place without solving the mystery, just as Maruf's body from Habiganj was buried, leaving his relatives with an endless stream of unanswered questions. Maruf Sarkar went to Saudi Arabia in 2014 to bring financial solvency to his family. His body was returned home in 2019, a month after his death. Although the accompanying certificate cited a natural death, his body bore marks of injury. Crying uncontrollably, Maruf's sister, Salma Akhter, told Agamir Somoy, "We wanted an autopsy of the body. But the people who sent him abroad told us not to create trouble over this. Later, he was buried without any medical examination." Although they wanted to uncover the truth through an autopsy, that path was blocked due to pressure from human traffickers and middlemen.

With eyes full of dreams, 20-year-old Bobita from Habiganj flew to Saudi Arabia in 2022. Within a year, her body was returned home. The death certificate handed to her family that stated that Bobita died of natural causes. However, her age was written as 28 on that certificate. Bobita's father said, "My daughter's actual age was even lesser. She did not have any serious illnesses either."

The family of Shakila Khatun from Jhenaidah shares a similar grievance. Her family claims that while in Saudi Arabia, Shakila used to call regularly and talk about the torture she was enduring. Yet, after her death, the certificate sent with her body stated "natural death." Her family noted that no investigation was conducted regarding the incident even after the body arrived in the country.

The Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), a private organization working for migrant workers' rights, published a research report in 2023 titled "Premature Death of Bangladeshi Women Migrant Workers." Analyzing data from the Wage Earners' Welfare Board, the report pointed out that 46,503 Bangladeshi migrant workers died abroad over a span of 30 years. However, this data excludes individuals who were buried in their destination countries, meaning the actual number could be significantly higher.

Research data shows that between 2017 and 2022, a total of 19,495 bodies were returned to the country. Among them, 96.4 percent were men and 3.6 percent were women. Although women make up about 12 percent of the total migrant workforce, an alarming finding is that the average age of deceased female migrants is only 37 years, whereas in Western countries this average age is 46 years.

An analysis of death certificates reveals that in 36.6 percent of cases, the cause of death was listed as "natural death," and in 22.1 percent of cases, it was cited as a "stroke." Additionally, 15.6 percent were recorded as suicides, 14.2 percent as accidents, and 1.7 percent as homicides. According to researchers, even after prolonged physical and mental abuse, many death certificates still list "heart failure" as the cause. It is reported that 62 percent of suicides among female migrant workers occurred in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Wage Earners' Welfare Board has been preserving records of the bodies of returning expatriates since 1993. According to their data, the bodies of 62,688 expatriates have been brought back to the country over the last 33 years. Statistics show that this number is increasing every year. While an average of 10 bodies returned to the country per day a few years ago, that number has now risen to nearly 14.

In 2013, for the first time, the number of returning bodies of expatriates exceeded 3,000 in a single year, reaching 3,076. Following this, the numbers were 3,335 in 2014; 3,307 in 2015; 3,481 in 2016; 3,387 in 2017; 3,793 in 2018; 3,651 in 2019; 3,140 in 2020; 3,818 in 2021; and 3,904 in 2022. In 2023, this figure rose to 4,552, and in 2024, it reached a peak of 4,813 bodies. The majority of these individuals came from various Middle Eastern countries.

Researchers from RMMRU state that there has never been a state-level, comprehensive investigation into why the mortality rate of Bangladeshi migrants is so high in labor-importing countries, including the Middle Eastern ones. Similarly, the actual causes of death are never verified. Whatever is written on the death certificate is accepted as final.

Premature death destroys a family's economic and social foundation. A 2020 survey by the Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP), a non-governmental organization, shows that 95 percent of families face financial crises after the death of a migrant worker. Among them, the income of 51 percent of families drops by up to 80 percent. Furthermore, 81 percent of families cannot access necessary healthcare, 61 percent see their children's education disrupted, and 90 percent are forced to reduce their daily food intake.

According to experts, unless effective measures are taken to ensure transparent investigations, accurate death certificates, mandatory autopsies, and compensation for every death of a Bangladeshi worker abroad, the words "natural death" will forever remain an unresolved question for many families.

Migration expert Professor Tasneem Siddiqui told Agamir Somoy that if a family has complaints or suspicions regarding the death of a migrant worker whose body has been returned from abroad, arrangements should be made for a re-autopsy if necessary. Through this, the actual cause of death can be uncovered, and it can be confirmed whether it was natural or unnatural. In many cases, death certificates sent from abroad mention a natural death. It is crucial to investigate the causes of such inconsistencies to uncover the true reasons. This will not only help families get justice but will also make it easier to ensure proper investigation and accountability for such incidents in the future.