Many still look for missing relatives

Many are still visiting hospitals and morgues in search of their near and dear ones who remained missing even after three days of the deadly fire at Chawk Bazar in old Dhaka that killed at least 67 people and injured scores.
Officials said that a total of 19 bodies, out of 67, recovered after Wednesday’s fire, are yet to be identified and now the bodies could be identified through DNA tests of the victims and their relatives.
The unidentified bodies are now at mortuaries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital and Suhrwardy Medical College Hospital and National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases where the relatives of the missing ones were rushing, officials said.
‘I have seen 40 bodies in three hospitals since Thursday but could not find my husband. All the bodies are charred. How can I identify him?’ said Shirin Akhter, from Belpara in Patuakhali and now residing at Fatulla in Narayanganj, who came to DMCH with her five-month-old son and sister-in-law in search of her husband Nur Zaman, 40, a rickshaw-puller. 
She said that she had talked to her husband about 9:00pm on Wednesday when he said he was at Chawk Bazar jam and after seeing the news of fire on television about 11:00pm she phoned him but found his phone off. Since then he remained missing, she added.
Criminal Investigation Department collected samples from her and her son for DNA tests and to see if any of the 19 bodies would match it.
‘On Saturday, we handed over two more bodies to their families as they were identified by their relatives. As a result, a total of 48 deceased in the fire have so far been identified and the rest 19 are yet to be identified,’ Dhaka district additional deputy commissioner Shafiqul Islam told New Age.
He said that CID already collected samples for DNA tests from people who claimed their relatives were still missing. 
‘We found claimants against 19 names,’ he said.
CID assistant DNA analyst Nusrat Yeasmin at Dhaka Medical College Hospital said that they had collected samples for DNA tests from 36 relatives searching for 19 victims after the fire.
Nusrat said that if any more claimants were there, they must come to CID’s Malibagh office to give sample for DNA tests from Sunday.

A team of Criminal Investigation Department collects DNA samples of the deceased of Chawkbazar fire incident in front of Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue in the capital on Saturday. — New Age photo

 

Anwar Hossain, who gave sample to CID for DNA test on Friday, was searching for his brother Md Ahsan Ullah’s body at hospitals and finally found a burnt piece of navy-blue shirt with a body at Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital morgue.
Seeing the colour of the shirt his brother used to wear and the size of the burnt body, he and members of his family claimed the body to be Ahsan’s but the authorities did not allow them to take the body away on the basis of assumption, he said.
‘Now we have to wait for the DNA test results,’ he said.
One Hridoy Munshi was searching his bother-in-law Abdul Gaffar, a resident of Barishal who remained missing since the incident.
Hridoy said that they did not find the body of Gaffar in the hospital and gave DNA sample.
Red Crescent director Imam Zafar Shikder on Saturday said that they had handed over the list of 72 missing people to the government agency. 
He said that they were not updating the list anymore as government agencies were functioning.
He said that of them 42 dead victims were identified, relatives of 18 victims provided sample and 8 people were undergoing treatment at hospitals.
Those whose bodies were handed over to families on Saturday are Anwar Hossain Manju, 41, son of Abdur Rahim of village Mirzanagar under Sonaimuri in Noakhali and Zafar Ahmed, 44, son of Md Solaiman of the same village, said Chawk Bazar Police Station sub-inspector Munshi Abdul Lokman.
He said that Anwar’s body was handed over to his family from Shaheed Suhrwardy Medical College Hospital morgue while Zafar’s body from Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital morgue.
The police official who has been working to identify and hand over the dead said that the remaining burnt bodies were not fit for identification by seeing them and that DNA tests were the way to identify them.
Relatives of the victims urged the government to relocate the chemical warehouses from old Dhaka as they believed that chemical explosion increased the death toll.
When Chawk Bazar residents are mourning, numerous chemical and perfumery warehouses were seen to operate.
Residents have blamed the government for failing to relocate the factory even after nine years of the deadly Nimtoli fire which killed 124 people.
‘The government wanted to construct ultramodern warehouses with all facilities at Kerniganj for preserving chemicals. As the owners were not ready to go there, the project couldn’t be implemented’...this is the most regretful matter,’ said prime minister Sheikh Hasina after visiting victims at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Saturday.
But businessmen blamed Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation for failing to acquire the land for the relocation project.
Former industries minister Dilip Barua blamed immediate-past minister Amir Hossain Amu for the failure in relocation of chemical businesses from the old city.
Asked for his comment, Amu termed Barua’s statement completely false. 
Md Nasir Uddin, father of deceased Wasiuddin Mahin, came down heavily on the government and demanded seizure of the entire chemical stores in old Dhaka residential houses.
He said that the devastation of fire would not be this high if chemicals were not restored there.
Amid the huge criticism, Dhaka South City Corporation started removing chemicals stored at the basement of Wahed Mansion at Chawk Bazar on Saturday.
When launching the drive, mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon told journalists that DSCC had started relocation of chemical warehouses from old Dhaka and the work would continue.
Experts after Nimtoli fire in June 2010 had placed a 17-point recommendations including relocation of the dangerous chemical warehouse from Dhaka. 
Following the incident, DSCC had stopped renewing trade licences for chemical businesses.
But, Sayeed Khokon on February 12 announced that the trade licences for chemical businesses based in old Dhaka would be renewed from February 19. 
On the first day, at least five businesses out 1,900 units renewed their trade licence after five years of ban. 
Members of different probe committee on Saturday visited that spot but did not comment on the issue. 
Mayor Khokon, quoting CC TV camera video footage, claimed that the fire originated from a pick-up van cylinder blast in front of Haji Wahed Mansion at Churihatta on Nanda Kumar Datta Lane and spread quickly. 
At least six buildings housing markets and chemical and plastic warehouses were damaged by the fire.
Four-storey Hazi Wahed Mansion, six-storey Motin Villa and two other four-storey buildings were completely burnt while another two buildings were damaged partially.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net