Legal notice served to four children over death of elderly mother in Pallabi
The notice argues that the incident is not only a personal family tragedy but also a matter of national concern involving the rights of senior citizens, family obligations, social morality and the rule of law.
A legal notice has been served on the four children of Noor Jahan Begum, an elderly woman whose body was recovered from her flat in the capital days after her death, seeking written explanations over allegations of neglect, irresponsibility, failure to provide maintenance and breach of legal duties.
The notice was sent by post today (3 June) by Supreme Court lawyer Farzana Yasmin Rakhi, sources said. The recipients have been asked to respond within seven days.
The four children named in the notice are Dr AKM Anisur Rahman, a joint secretary at Khulna Seaport; Dr AKM Ashikur Rahman, a professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology; Canada-based KM Atikur Rahman; and schoolteacher Fatima Nasrin Sultana.
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According to the notice, failure to provide a satisfactory explanation within the stipulated time may prompt legal action in the public interest and for the protection of senior citizens' rights.
The matter could also be brought before the relevant administrative authorities, the National Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Social Welfare, law enforcement agencies and the High Court, reads the notice.
The notice states that the death of Noor Jahan Begum is not merely a family tragedy but an incident that has raised serious concerns about social values, humanity and family responsibility, drawing public attention both at home and abroad.
The notice also says that despite having several established and financially capable children, the woman was allegedly deprived of adequate care, regular communication and human companionship in the final stages of her life, raising serious questions about their responsibilities.
It argues that the incident is not only a personal family tragedy but also a matter of national concern involving the rights of senior citizens, family obligations, social morality and the rule of law.
Earlier, police recovered the decomposed body of Noor Jahan Begum from her flat in Mirpur-11 in the capital.
On Sunday (31 May), police were called through the national emergency service 999.
Later, the daughter of the deceased filed an unnatural death case with the police station.
Following an autopsy, the remains were handed over to the family.
Police, however, could not determine the exact time of her death.
"The body was in a highly decomposed state and the initial assumption is that she died of natural causes," Pallabi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Hasan Bashir said.
