Forensic Analysis of Suicidal Hanging Cases: A Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Authors

  • Tamanna Hossain Simi Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Community Based Medical Collage Bangladesh, Winnerper, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
  • Sonia Naznin Sunny Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Md Sarwar Zahan Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Islami Bank Medical College, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
  • Md Jahidur Rahman Lecturer, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Aditi Tarafder Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Delta Medical College, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Milton Kumar Debnath Lecturer, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Cumilla Medical College, Cumilla, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/cbmj.v15i1.87574

Keywords:

Medicolegal autopsy, hanging, suicide, forensic analysis, postmortem report

Abstract

Suicide by hanging is a major public health issue worldwide. A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, between February 2024 and January 2025, to examine the demographic patterns, circumstantial factors, and postmortem findings of suicidal hanging cases. A total of 155 cases of suicidal hanging were purposively selected based on autopsy reports, medical records, and police inquest documents. Our data  revealed a male predominance (70.3%) and the most vulnerable age group was 20-30 years (45.2%). Most victims were unmarried (58.1%), unemployed (32.9%), or daily wage laborers (25.8%). Night-time incidents (42.6%) was predominent, while most used tools was rope (63.2%). Autopsy findings showed oblique ligature marks (76.8%), thyroid fractures (64.5%), petechiae (52.3%), and tongue protrusion (38.7%) as establishing characteristic patterns in suicidal hanging. This forensic analysis identified that young, unmarried males as the highest-risk demographic for suicidal hanging in Bangladesh, along with low socioeconomic factor being one of the key determinants. The findings underscore the urgent need for targeted prevention strategies and improved mental health support for vulnerable populations.  

CBMJ 2026 January: vol. 15 no. 01 P:61-66

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Published

2026-02-05

How to Cite

Simi, T. H., Sunny, S. N., Zahan, M. S., Rahman, M. J., Tarafder, A., & Debnath, M. K. (2026). Forensic Analysis of Suicidal Hanging Cases: A Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh. Community Based Medical Journal, 15(1), 61–66. https://doi.org/10.3329/cbmj.v15i1.87574

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Tamanna Hossain Simi, Sonia Naznin Sunny, Md Sarwar Zahan, Md Jahidur Rahman, Aditi Tarafder, Milton Kumar Debnath

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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