They are Shahjalal Uddin, 34, his wife Meherunnesa Helali, 24, and their only 3-year-old daughter Fairuz Kashem Zamira
Published : 02 Mar 2024, 12:24 AM
A couple and their child have been identified among the 46 killed in the restaurant building fire on Bailey Road in Dhaka, taking the number of named victims to 43.
They are Shahjalal Uddin, 34, his wife Meherunnesa Helali, 24, and their only 3-year-old daughter Fairuz Kashem Zamira.
Meherunnesa’s father Alam Helali identified the bodies at Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s mortuary on Friday night, almost 24 hours after the incident.
He said Shahjalal was an assistant customs officer at Pangaon Inland Container Depot in Keraniganj. The family lived in the Bashundhara Riverview residential area.
Alam said they were planning to tour the hilly district of Khagrachhari shortly.
“They were unreachable via phone. I’ve found them after a daylong search,” he said.
Two survivors of the blaze were being treated at the DMCH while eight others in critical condition at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence said the building, Green Cozy Cottage, did not have a proper fire safety system or exits despite having several restaurants and shops.
Videos showed the fire might have originated from Cha Chumuk, a tea stall on the ground floor, and raced through the upper floors, affecting the diners and workers of popular biryani restaurant Kacchi Bhai first on the first floor.
Police have arrested two owners of Cha Chumuk and a manager of Kacchi Bhai on charges of culpable homicide.