Police in Dhaka’s Mirpur area recovered the decomposed body of 75-year-old Nurjahan Begum from a filthy apartment on Sunday. The flat, filled with garbage and fungus, belonged to her daughter, a schoolteacher who lived with her. Officers said the daughter’s speech appeared incoherent, raising questions about her mental health. Nurjahan’s other children include a joint secretary and a university teacher. The body was later handed over to her son after autopsy.

Images and videos of the unhygienic room went viral on social media, prompting widespread anger and calls for punishment of the children for alleged neglect. A High Court petition has been filed seeking an investigation into possible human rights violations. State Minister for Public Administration Md Abdul Bari said the joint secretary son has been removed from his post pending inquiry.

The incident has renewed discussion about Bangladesh’s 2013 Parents Maintenance Act, which mandates that capable children must provide food, shelter, medical care, and companionship to their parents or face fines or imprisonment.