Autopsy: Nirob died within half an hour of drowning

Five-year-old Ismail Hossain Nirob, who fell into an uncovered sewer pipe on Tuesday, drowned and died within 10-30 minutes of the incident, according to the autopsy report.

“We suspect that the boy died within 10 to 30 minutes after falling into the manhole. We found water in his stomach and his whole body tissue,” said Dhaka Medical College Assistant Professor Dr Kazi Mohammad Abu Sama, who led the post-mortem examination.

The forensic team concluded the autopsy yesterday morning, while the child’s body was handed over to his family around 11:30am.

Kadamtali police station Sub-Inspector Moufizur Rahman said: “A general diary has been filed in this connection. The next step will be taken after consulting the high officials.”

On Tuesday, fire fighters searched for Nirob for almost four hours after he fell into the sewer in the capital’s Shyampur area. When Nirob was finally found around 8:30pm, he was unconscious; DMCH doctors declared him dead half an hour later.

“Like the one in front of our house, manholes remain uncovered across the country. My son died after falling into the manhole, but there is no expectation of justice,” Nirob’s father Rezaul Karim told the Dhaka Tribune while receiving his son’s body from the DMC morgue.

Referring to Jihad, a child who died last December after falling into a manhole, Rezaul said: “Jihad died earlier in a similar fashion, but nothing has changed.”

Rezaul said the family would not file any case as it will not bring any outcome. “My son will never return,” he said.

The father, however, expressed hopes that no child would die again from such a preventable accident that happened because of negligence from authorities concerned.

The five-year-old was supposed to start going to school from next month, Rezaul said; but instead Nirob will now be buried in his native Bonogram village of Madaripur district.

Nirob’s uncle Mohammad Selim said the child’s mother Nazma Begum has gone nearly mad following the death of her son. She is yet to believe the incident, Selim said.