THE family of the Maldivian model who was found dead in Bangladesh in a suspected suicide believe she was murdered by extremists in the country.

Raudha Athif, 20, who was featured on the cover of Vogue India, was studying medicine at Islami Bank Medical College in Rajshahi, when she was reportedly found hanged in her dorm room on March 29.

Her body was discovered by horrified students living in the women-only hostel of the medical college before police arrived at the scene, according to Bangladesh’s The Daily Star.

The superintendent at the hostel said that Raudha “always looked happy” and that it was “hard to believe she would commit suicide”.

Raudha’s father, Mohammed Athif, a doctor, also expressed disbelief that it was a suicide.

Her brother Rayyan Athif, 18, believes his sister was murdered and her death was staged as a suicide.

Speaking to The Sun , Rayyan said: “Raudha was a happy girl with a bright future and a promising career ahead of her. She was friendly, lighthearted and full of life. Her friends and family find it impossible to believe that she would take her own life.

“There have been a series of murders in Bangladesh which have been staged to look like suicides and Islamic extremists have been suspected to be behind these atrocities.”

He believes Raudha, who was a Muslim, was targeted because she was a public figure who defended victims bullied over religious controversies.

Rayyan said: “Raudha was a strong woman, she would not back down and stood up for herself and for others. It could have made extremists boil up inside with anger.

“Her style of clothing was branded as ‘immodest’ and ‘un-Islamic’ even though she adhered to the dress code in the college premises by wearing a veil covering her face.

“But she was criticised for wearing jeans and was repeatedly told she couldn’t wear it at the Muslim college — which has a lot of extremist connections and support. Other students have also been subjected to this type of bullying.”

Model's father says her death was not suicide Model's father says her death was not suicide

Rayyan also claims Raudha told the family someone mixed sleeping tablets in her drink just weeks before her death.

An autopsy report, conducted by three doctors at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, ruled Raudha’s death as suicide shortly after she was buried on Saturday. Her family have rejected it.

Her brother Rayann claims: “In their first report, it said that there were strangulation marks, but they later dismissed it saying they were ‘birthmarks’. But she does not have a birthmark on her neck.

“We’ve seen her bruised body, her tightly-held fists and hand marks on her neck as if somebody strangled her. When we raised these issue with the police, they dismissed it.”

According to police reports, students who discovered Raudha’s body broke into her room which was locked from the inside.

But her family have disputed this, claiming there was no evidence of a forced entry.

Rayann said: “We went inside Raudha’s room and checked the locks on the door — there was no sign of a break-in — no cracks, dents on the door.

“Authorities said students banged on the door and the two locks of the door just slipped down but that’s not possible. We demonstrated it. We banged on the door and the locks didn’t move an inch. I would love an explanation for this.”

Maldivian police officials this week met with Bangladesh’s Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) and the medical college authorities following speculation surrounding the model’s death.

They also visited Raudha’s room at the women’s dorm — checking the doors, windows and contents inside the room.

Amin Hossain, assistant commissioner of RMP Detective Branch, was quoted in Dhaka Tribune as saying: “There is a 50 per cent chance that she did not commit suicide.”

He said her mobile phone and laptop have been sent to the Criminal Investigation Department in Dhaka for analysis.

It comes after Raudha’s family accused Bangladeshi police of negligence in their investigation into the case.

Frustrated and angry, Rayann told The Sun Online: “The possibility of tampering of evidence, illogical explanation of strangulation marks, delay of acquiring phone records, dissemble of crime scene, refusal to interrogate security, unexplained entry into her room following her death, apparent untouched and unaffected locks, and most importantly, failure to interrogate suspects make up for the overall incompetence of the investigation.”

Just a week before Raudha’s death, police detained 29 men belonging to Chhatra Shibir — a student Islamist organisation — from her medical college hostel, according to local media.

They also recovered Jihadi-related books and leaflets from their possessions, it has been reported.

There is no indication to suggest the group — believed to be linked to a number of terrorist organisations — was connected to Raudha’s death.

But Maldivian blogger Muju Naeem, who has written extensively about inconsistencies surrounding Raudda’s death and other similar cases, says “corruption in the system exists”.

When asked why he believes there could be a cover-up, Muju told The Sun Online: “Because the system is run by extremists. It’s a very simple answer.

“I am being inundated with threats all the time for talking about it.”

The activist, who fears for his life, says he’s been living in self-exile at an undisclosed location after receiving death threats for writing about religious extremism and secularism.

Raudha became an internet sensation in Maldives in 2014 because of her aqua blue eyes.

After posting pictures of herself on social media, Raudha got international recognition with her “Maldivian Girl With Aqua Blue Eyes” photoshoot.

The image of her emerging from crystal blue sea went viral and eventually helped her land on the cover of Vogue India in October 2016.

She was picked as one of six models from six nations of the Indian subcontinent for Vogue India’s Beauty in Diversity cover shoot.

At the time, Raudha told the magazine she saw her modelling career as a “hobby” while studying to become a doctor.

She added: “Becoming a doctor to help people has always been my dream.”

Raudha was pursuing her medical degree in Bangladesh on a student scholarship given by the Department of Higher Education in the Maldives.

She had been living in the student hostel, designated mainly for foreign students, close to the university since last year.

A change.org petition calling for a proper investigation into Raudha’s death by the Central Investigative Department of Bangladesh has now reached more than 6,175 signatures.

This story originally appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission