52 unclaimed fire victims buried after DNA tests

No-one showed up over the past two days to claim them. Their bodies charred beyond recognition.

And so, unidentified bodies of 53 workers who had died from the fire at Tazreeen Fashions Ltd were buried at the Jurain Graveyard in the capital on Tuesday afternoon.

Anjuman-e-Mufidul Islam, a charity, received the bodies and conducted the burial as the nation observed a day of mourning on Tuesday.

After concluding the DNA tests at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), the district administration handed over the bodies to the voluntary organisation.

The graves were prepared on Monday night and the serial numbers of the DNA were tagged with the coffins as well as on the boards erected there in the hope that, some day, their families can identify them.

Bangladesh's deadliest factory fire in the multi-storied Tazreen Fashions Limited of Tuba Group burned alive at least 110 workers, according to government estimates.

Sixty bodies were initially handed over to the Anjuman for burial. Later, the district administration decided to wait until Tuesday for relatives of the dead to claim them.

They claimed seven more bodies and the administration handed over the rest around 11:30am on on Tuesday.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Dhaka Abul Fazal Meer told reporters that they had 55 bodies last night. Husbands of 'Jaheda' and 'Mariam' identified their bodies in the morning. "We've handed over 53 bodies to Anjuman-e-Mafidul Islam for burial."

The Additional District Commissioner of Dhaka Abul Fazal could not say how many of the dead were female.

"The bodies are burnt so badly that identifying them was almost impossible," he said.

After the first Namaz-e-Janaza at the DMCH, the bodies were taken to Jurain graveyard and buried after a second Janaza there.

Mohammad Abdul Halim, Assistant Director of Anjuman-e-Mafidul Islam, said that all the bodies were buried as per Islamic rituals.

Four vehicles carried the bodies to the graveyard. Those who did not find their loved ones yet thronged the graveyard to give it a last try — all in vain.

The tombstone of the dead will carry the number waiting to be identified by their families, said Assistant Director of Anjumane Mofidul Islam Halim.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=237087&cid=2