The Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur (KL) has expressed its grief over the death of Bangladeshi student Irfan Siddiq in Malaysia.
Irfan was a student of the Management department at the Kuching city campus of the Swinburne University of Technology in Sarawak, one of the thirteen provinces of Malaysia. He died on September 18.
The High Commission conveyed its deepest condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased, according to a press release.
It said as soon as news of the student's death came to their notice, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia Md Golam Sarwar sent an officer of the rank of counsellor to Sarawak the next day.
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Meanwhile, the family of the deceased student, with the help of a DIG-rank officer of Bangladesh Police, submitted a petition through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh to prevent any post-mortem and further investigation of the body, said the release.
Taking into account the sentiments of the family members and written requests, the authorities allowed the body to be sent back to Bangladesh without conducting a post-mortem. All the ancillary preparations, including making tickets to send the body home, were completed as usual.
The student was reportedly suffering from mental trauma/depression for the past few months. He had reportedly informed the family about his mental state in the past and even told his mother that he would commit suicide, according to the KL mission's account set forth in the press release.
The family and university authorities were reportedly aware of his disturbed state, but no one was able to take the steps that may have prevented such a tragic finale, which is very sad, added the High Commission's press release.
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After his death, the family has tried to blame the High Commission, even though it had no prior information pertaining to the situation. It only became aware of the matter after his death, according to the press release. The entire sad episode played out in Sarawak, the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo, whereas the Bangladesh mission is in Kuala Lumpur, located in what is known as peninsular Malaysia. The distance between KL and Sarawak is close to 1300 kilometres.
The distance notwithstanding, all Bangladeshis in Malaysia of course are to be served by the same mission. But the distance and location is pointed out to convey that there was no shared social scene or close-knit community through which the High Commission or its officials could become aware of the situation, without someone specifically informing it.
The KL mission in its press release also hit back at the family's allegations by questioning why the family had not sought any help from it earlier, despite knowing about the mental instability afflicting the student.
The High Commission is being blamed only on the basis of what is heard from various media outlets and on the basis of perceptions, which is unexpected and sad on behalf of the family/relatives of the deceased student. Where the High Commission has worked sincerely to fulfill the wishes of the family of the deceased student, it added
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Since the family has called for a re-investigation, considering the seriousness of the matter, the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has already written to the Malaysian government to re-investigate the death. It is taking the unexpected death of Bangladeshi student Irfan Siddique very seriously. The High Commission believes that this press release, based on the information of the High Commission and disseminated with evidence, will put an end to the reasonable questions of all the concerned people.