Raudha Athif

Maldivian model and medical student Raudha Athif, born in the Maldives on May 18, 1996, came into prominence after her untimely death in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, in March 2017. She was 20 years old. Her family, who believe she was murdered, have suggested her death was not a suicide as ruled by local investigators. Raudha was found dead in her dormitory at the all-female Islami Bank Medical College, where she was studying on a scholarship. Police said she hanged herself from a ceiling fan using a scarf, and an autopsy concluded she had taken her own life. However, a new investigation by Australian TV show 60 Minutes has raised doubts. Australian forensic pathologist Professor Joe DuFlou told the program he believed that excess marks around her neck in photographs showed bruising that could have been made by a hand and a belt, not the birthmarks the original autopsy concluded. He stated, "To me, the appearance of those bruises, marks of some type or other, looked very similar to fingers has caused bruising." Her father, Mohammed Athif, has been campaigning for a criminal investigation and won the right to a second autopsy after filing a civil complaint. He told 60 Minutes, "I know my daughter has been killed already. I know I won't get her back, but as a father I will get rest only when I get justice to her." Raudha had planned to transfer to Australia the following year. She was discovered as a model after her pictures under the title "Maldivian girl with the aqua blue eyes" went viral. She appeared on the cover of Vogue India, but told the magazine that modeling was a "hobby rather than a career, since I'm studying to become a doctor." Her brother Rayyan Athif believes she was killed and alleged a series of murders in Bangladesh have been staged to look like suicides, with Islamic extremists suspected. He claimed she was targeted due to the way she dressed. Raudha was a moderate Muslim but adhered to her college's dress code and wore a veil over her face on campus. She was criticized for wearing jeans and told her clothing was "immodest." Other students also faced such bullying. Her family continues to seek justice, and her case has drawn international attention.