Dhaka, April 21 -- The High Court has issued a rule asking why a policy has not yet been formulated to ensure that autopsies of deceased women are conducted by female doctors.

The rule was issued on Sunday by a High Court Division bench comprising Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Shikdar Mahmudur Razi, following a hearing on a writ petition seeking a directive on the matter.

Advocate Md. Jewel Azad, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, filed the writ on 10 March. The petition called for the introduction of a formal policy requiring female medical officers and paramedics to conduct autopsies and post-mortems of female bodies.

The court has questioned why the inaction and failure of the concerned authorities to introduce such a poli...