Unclaimed, bodies await recognition

Relatives have until Monday morning to identify them and DNA samples will be preserved before burial.

Dhaka, Nov 25 (bdnews24.com)—The unclaimed bodies of the victims of the devastating fire that swept through a garment factory in the Ashulia have been kept at Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue, although it was earlier decided that Anjuman Mofidul Islam would be given custody of those.

The worst-ever factory blaze in Bangladesh broke out on the ground floor of the multi-storied Tazreen Fashions Limited of Tuba Group in Savar's Nischintapur around 7:30pm on Saturday and claimed lives of at least 110 people.

Ten fire-fighting units put out the flames after more than five hours of frantic efforts but the cause of the fire was yet to be known. The administration, police and Fire Brigade have formed three separate committees to investigate the reason.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Moshiuddoula had told bdnews24.com at the scene that Anjuman Mufidul Islam had been given custody of 58 bodies as no-one came to claim them.

Anjuman is a voluntary organisation which buries unclaimed bodies. It brought the bodies of the garment workers to Dhaka later.

The unclaimed bodies have been kept in the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital's Morgue, Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Yusuf Harun told bdnews24.com on Sunday evening.

He said they will wait for the relatives to come and identify them until Monday morning and added the DNA samples of the unidentified ones will be preserved before burial.

"Later those will be given to Anjuman Mofidul Islam for the burial," he added.

Yusus Harun said among the 110 dead, 60 have remained unidentified.

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