Agonising wait for loved ones, dead or alive

Distraught family members of the Rupganj fire victims spent Saturday scouring the gutted factory, hanging around Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, where survivors are undergoing treatment and loitering near the DMCH morgue looking for their missing loved ones.
So far investigators have collected 39 samples from the families, to identify 52 bodies of the victims who were killed in Thursday night's massive fire at Shezan Juice factory at Rupganj in Narayanganj, said Forensic Department of the DMCH
Hopefully, it will take
    one month to identify 52 bodies of the victims who were killed in Thursday night's massive fire at Shezan Juice factory at Rupganj in Narayanganj,
"A total of 39 claimants' samples were collected till Saturday morning to identify the victims and those will be tested at the lab of the hospital.
 Some claimants have not yet come. Hope that, the bodies will be identified within a month," said the Forensic Department's DNA examiner Mohammad Masud Rabbi Sabuj.
The family of the victims' will be informed about the deceased through Rupganj Police and district administration, Masud Rabbi added.
The DNA tester added that it would be a little challenging to analyze the samples. It may take a month. However, it will be easy and very quick to analyze the samples of the claimants of the corpse. Once the DNA profiling is completed, the police will hand the remains to the families after the identification.

The relatives of the victims will be able to know the identity of the deceased through Rupganj Thana and Deputy Commissioner. They are the department concerned with this incident. Families can get information through them.
He also said the teeth and bones of the dead have been collected for examination.
As the fire broke out at the factory of Hashem Foods Ltd at Rupganj in Narayanganj, a 28-year-old senior operator Mohammad Ali called his father, Shahadat Hossain.
"The fire is everywhere, Baba," said Ali in a call that lasted a little over a minute. "The gate is locked. Please forgive me."
On Saturday, two days after the disaster, Shahadat arrived at the DMCH morgue from his home in Pabna to look for his son's remains. He was accompanied by his brother, Tipu Sultan.
"My son asked for my forgiveness," said Shahadat, his voice weighed down by grief as he recounted the conversation.
Mohammad Ali was the second of Shahadat's four children. Ali's wife, Sadia, gave birth to their son, Mohammad, only two months ago. "Where is my son?" Shahadat kept asking.
"My future has become dark," he said. His wife, Rokeya Khatun, had died of illness only three months ago.
Ali had worked at the factory for three years and was earning a salary of Tk 25,000, according to his uncle, Tipu Sultan. Many distraught families were combing the morgue in search of their loved ones.
Billal Hossain was looking for his daughter Mitu, who was only 16.
Mitu had begun working at the factory three months ago, for a salary of Tk 5,000, said Billal. The family hailed from Cumilla's Daudkandi.  "But where is my daughter now?" he said.
Jasim Uddin and his wife Josna Begum, from Narsingdi, were also looking for their daughter, 23-year-old Lima.
Chandu Mia had come from Kishoreganj in search of his daughter, 23-year-old Rabia.
Shawkat Hossain Khokon was looking for his son, Jihad Rana, a food engineer who had worked at the factory for four years.
Amena Begum and Mohammad Selim came from Kishoreganj to search for their daughter 14-year-old Selina.
Meanwhile, Naryanaganj Deputy Commissioner has formed a five-member probe committee, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shamim Bepari, to investigate the fire incident.
Of these, 15 will be sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital (ShSMC) in the capital and eight will be kept in the emergency unit of the DMCH while the remaining 25 will be at the hospital moruge.

Siddhirganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mashiur Rahman confirmed the matter on Saturday morning.  Mashiur said there are 48 bodies at the DMCH morgue. The bodies will be handed over to relatives after DNA test.