‘This has to be a wake-up call’: NSW attorney general urged to order inquest into death of Sydney’s ‘birdman’

Records show Bikram Lama, who came to Australia to study, was deemed a non-resident by the time of his death while sleeping rough in Hyde Park. Photograph: Supplied by familyView image in fullscreenRecords show Bikram Lama, who came to Australia to study, was deemed a non-resident by the time of his death while sleeping rough in Hyde Park. Photograph: Supplied by familySydney‘This has to be a wake-up call’: NSW attorney general urged to order inquest into death of Sydney’s ‘birdman’ Alex Greenwich says inquest crucial to understand what failures led to Bikram Lama’s death and avoid similar deaths Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Christopher KnausSun 26 Apr 2026 11.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 26 Apr 2026 11.01 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThe New South Wales attorney-general, Michael Daley, has been urged to order an inquest into the death of Nepali rough sleeper Bikram Lama in Hyde Park.The death of Lama – who was also known as “the birdman” for his love of the area’s pigeons – has prompted widespread calls for change, after Guardian Australia revealed last week that the young migrant’s body lay unnoticed for up to a week in bushes near a busy thoroughfare into St James station.Lama’s family say he came to Australia to study, but he fell out of contact with them, and records show he was deemed a non-resident by the time of his death. The City of Sydney estimates about one in five rough sleepers in the inner-city are not Australian residents.Sign up for the Breaking News Australia emailNon-residents are typically unable to access key supports needed to get out of homelessness, including social housing, social security, healthcare and work rights.The coroner is yet to determine whether an inquest into Lama’s death will be held, but has sought contact with Lama’s family in Nepal.The independent MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, wrote to Daley on Friday requesting that he use his powers to direct an inquest be held into the death that examined potential policy failures.“Like so many other people, I was just shocked and saddened by this,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking but this has to be a wake-up call for policymakers, and the question that we have to be asking ourselves is: ‘did Bikram Lama die because of failures in state and federal policies’.”When ‘the birdman’ of St James tunnel died, Sydney commuters streamed past his body for daysRead moreDaley’s office said the coroner was still waiting for a brief of evidence from police, after which it would decide whether to hold an inquest.“The Attorney General has received correspondence in relation to this matter,” the spokesperson said. “The Coroner is awaiting a brief of evidence from NSW Police. Once that is received, the court will review the matter and determine whether it will proceed to inquest as per usual processes.”In 2024, Guardian Australia investigated more than 600 homelessness deaths and found a vast life expectancy gap with the general population, often due to systemic failures to provide housing, healthcare and mental health support.‘Immigration limbo’ left Bikram Lama homeless before he died in Hyde park. Calls are growing for changeRead moreRecent coronial inquests have sought to specifically probe the nexus between a lack of housing, gaps in homelessness support and rough sleeper deaths.Last month, Victorian coroner Simon McGregor examined the death of Sacha Lefebvre, 52, who was sleeping rough in December 2025 outside Hawthorn library in…

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