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Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Bangladesh: 32 unidentified bodies buried at Jurain graveyard


Thirty-two unidentified bodies retrieved from the debris of collapsed Rana Plaza were buried on Wednesday at Jurain graveyard, with the graves bearing the numbers corresponding to their DNA samples.

A century-old Islamic charity Anjuman-e-Mufidul Islam performed the last rites at the graveyard.

Executive Director of the charity Abul Kashem said they had dug 60 graves at Jurain.

Dhaka district’s Additional Magistrate Abul Fazal Mir told bdnews24.com the DNA samples of the bodies had been preserved, so that their identity could be confirmed through tests if anyone came claiming them later.

Executive Magistrate Rebeka Sultana said the DNA identity of 21 unidentified bodies kept in the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) morgue was matched on Wednesday noon. The body of a deceased, identified as a female readymade garment worker Hasina, was handed over to her relatives later.

Another body was kept at the hospital since two people had claimed it.

After the first namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayer) in front of the DMCH around 2pm, 19 unclaimed bodies were brought to the Jurain graveyard. Fourteen unclaimed bodies were brought there from the morgue of Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, also known as Mitford Hospital.

Of the 17 unidentified bodies kept at the Mitford Hospital, the identity of one female garment worker Sultana, 22, was confirmed at the last moment. Though the body was handed over to her relatives, two other bodies were kept at the morgue since they were claimed by several people.

Executive Magistrate Khadiza Begum said after the second funeral prayer of the victims at the graveyard, relatives of another female garment worker Fahima confirmed her identity. She was also buried at the graveyard after the last rites.

The process of burying the victims started at about 3pm.

Besides the locals, the relatives of those still missing since the collapse of the nine-storey commercial building Rana Plaza at Savar on Apr 24 gathered at the graveyard looking for the bodies of their loved ones.

Additional Magistrate Abul Fazal Mir said a total of 70 bodies recovered from the concrete rubbles were sent to the two hospital morgues. Of those, 35 were identified and handed over to their relatives. Three bodies were still at the hospital morgues because of several claims for them.

Meanwhile, five people injured in the country's worst-ever industrial disaster succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at the DMCH, with one of them, Selim Rana of Panchagarh district, dying on Wednesday morning.

The authorities handed over the body to his brother Shahidul Islam.

Rescuers pulled out 18 more bodies from the debris of Rana Plaza in Savar as the rescue operation stepped into eighth straight day on Wednesday.

With the fresh recovery of bodies, the toll from the deadly building collapse now stands at 411, according to the Dhaka District control room, opened close to the site to provide information on the tragedy.

Wednesday 1 May 2013

http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/05/01/32-bodies-buried-at-jurain-graveyard

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