Raudha Athif — Biography

Raudha Athif, a model from the Maldives who was also pursuing a medical education, gained widespread attention following her premature passing in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. While investigators in Bangladesh attributed the death of the Vogue cover model, found deceased in a women's dormitory, to suicide, her family contends she was murdered. Athif, aged 21, was discovered in the all-female facility in the western city of Rajshahi in March. Authorities stated she died by hanging herself from a ceiling fan with a scarf, and a subsequent autopsy confirmed this as self-inflicted. However, a fresh inquiry by the Australian television program 60 Minutes has raised suspicions of foul play in the medical student's demise. Her father, Mohammed Athif, expressed to the program his certainty that his daughter was killed and that only achieving justice would bring him peace, even though he knows he cannot bring her back. Mr. Athif has been advocating for a criminal inquiry into her death and successfully obtained permission for a second autopsy earlier this year after lodging a civil complaint. Australian forensic pathologist Professor Joe DuFlou told 60 Minutes that he believed distinct marks around Ms. Athif’s neck visible in photographs suggested bruising that could have been inflicted by a hand and a belt. The initial autopsy had characterized these as birthmarks. He voiced significant doubt that the ligature was responsible for the marks, stating they did not align. He added that the appearance of the bruises seemed very much like bruising caused by fingers. Ms. Athif, originally from the Maldives, had been attending the Islami Bank Medical College in western Bangladesh on a scholarship and had intended to relocate to Australia the following year. Her modeling career began after photographs she shared, captioned "Maldivian girl with the aqua blue eyes," went viral. Ms. Athif graced the cover of Vogue India last year, but she informed the magazine that modeling was more of a pastime than a profession, as her true ambition was to become a doctor. Her father indicated that her modeling activities had drawn unwelcome attention during her time in Bangladesh. Her brother, Rayyan Athif, told The Sun earlier this year that he believes his sister was murdered, alleging a pattern of deaths in Bangladesh being disguised as suicides, with suspicions falling on Islamic extremists. He claimed his sister was specifically targeted due to her attire. He noted that Ms. Athif was a moderate Muslim who followed her college's dress code, wearing a veil on campus. He stated she faced criticism for wearing jeans, with her clothing being deemed immodest, and that other students had also endured similar harassment.