Metro victim Azad buried as grief-stricken family demands justice

He has been laid to rest in his hometown Shariatpur

The wails of grieving relatives echoed through Shariatpur's Ishwarkathi village as they laid Abul Kalam Azad to rest after a fatal accident under a falling Dhaka Metro Rail bearing pad.

The shocking death has turned his quiet hometown into a scene of anguish and outrage in Naria Upazila on Monday.

Azad, who died in the accident at Farmgate on Sunday, has been buried in his ancestral village in Shariatpur.

He was laid to rest on Monday morning at his family graveyard in the village, following a second funeral prayer held at the nearby Moktarerchar Purbo Poragacha Islamia Dakhil Madrasa ground.

Azad, 36, was the youngest of four brothers and the son of the late Abdul Jalil Chowkdar. He lived in Pathantuli, Narayanganj, with his wife and two young children, supporting the family through his job at a Dhaka-based travel agency. He also sent money regularly to his elder brother.

After his death on Sunday afternoon, Azad’s body was taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital in the capital for postmortem examination. The body was then brought to Narayanganj for the first funeral prayer before reaching his village around 2am. Local officials and law enforcers were present when the coffin arrived.

Villagers and relatives gathered in tears to see him one last time, creating a heart-wrenching scene.

His elder brother, Khokon Chowkdar, said: “My innocent, hardworking brother died because of the metro rail authority’s negligence. We demand a full investigation and justice.”

Naria Upazila Assistant Commissioner Lucky Das said, “We express deep sorrow for this tragic incident and convey condolences to the family. Senior government officials have assured full support for them, and the district administration will assist in every possible way.”