Maldives model and student at a medical school in Rajshahi, Bangladesh was found dead in her dorm room on Wednesday morning in what is believed to be suicide.
According to Bangladesh media reports, 20 year old Raudha Athif who appeared on the October 2016 cover of Vogue India magazine was found hanging from the ceiling fan by her scarf.
Senior Assistant Commissioner (Rajshahi Metropolitan Police) Iftekhar Alam was quoted by the Dhaka Tribune having said an autopsy would be conducted once the victim's family arrives from the Maldives.
Raudha was an MBBS student in her sophomore year at Islami Bank Medical College in Rajshahi. She lived in a single room.
According to Dr Laila Akhter, dorm in-charge, Raudha had gone to bed after supper on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday morning, Raudha’s friends knocked on her door when she missed breakfast. When there was no response, they looked in through the window and found Raudha hanging.
“According to their reports, she had set up a pillow on a chair on top of her bed to reach the fan from which she hung herself,” said RMP Commissioner Shafikul Islam.
“We are not ruling out suicide.”
Shafikul also said strangulation marks were found around her neck.
“We are treating it as our top priority because she is a foreign citizen.”
Two years ago, while experimenting with her pictures on social media she became a sensation in the country as the ‘Maldivian Girl With Aqua Blue Eyes’.
The picture landed her on the cover of Vogue along with five other women from South Asia.
Titled ‘Celebrating Unity In Diversity’ on their ninth anniversary issue, Vouge tried to capture the spirit of bold and beautiful women who are not only embracing their individuality but also inspiring others to do so, and Raudha Athif was one of them.
“Besides bringing their individuality to the ramp, these stunning models, some of them aspiring lawyers and doctors, are breaking stereotypes and inspiring others to think big, think strong,” Vouge had said.
