Staff Correspondent

Police have handed over the bodies of 16 victims, who died in the devastating fire at a garment factory and a chemical warehouse in Mirpur’s Rupnagar area to their families five days after the incident.

The handover process began around 10:15pm on Sunday and continued until 12:30am, according to police. 

The bodies had been kept in the cold storage of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue for DNA testing and identification.

Mohammad Mokhlesur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of Rupnagar Police Station, said the forensic unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) provided them with the DNA results for 16 victims.

After confirming the matches with their family members, they contacted them and all 16 bodies were handed over at the DMCH morgue, he said.

Each bereaved family received Tk 25,000 in burial assistance from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, disbursed through the Dhaka district administration.

Tejgaon Development Circle Engineer Md Zakir Hossain handed over the financial assistance.

The 16 victims were identified through DNA testing as Mahira Akter, 14, daughter of late Omar Faruk from Bamna upazila in Barguna; Nargis Akter, 18, daughter of Wazi Ullah from Daliganagar in Lalmohan upazila, Bhola; Md Sanowar Hossain, 25, son of Mizanur Rahman from Nalitabari, Sherpur; Nure Alam Sarkar, 23, son of Aminul Islam from Bhabanipur, Gaibandha Sadar; Al Mamun, 38, son of late Mojibur Rahman from Darikata village, Amtali upazila, Barguna; Rabiul Islam Robin, 20, son of Nazu Mia from Tilaknagar, Bancharampur, Brahmanbaria; Farzana Akter, 15, daughter of Ratan Mia from Golla Rajapur, Dharmapasha, Sunamganj; Khalid Hasan Sabbir, 29, son of Monirul Islam from Islambpur, Barguna Sadar; Abdul Alim, 14, son of Nur Islam from Krishnapur, Singra, Natore; Joy Mia, 20, son of Sabuj Mia from Nurulla village, Barhatta, Netrakona; Asma Akter, 13, daughter of Nayan Mia from Southkhali, Mohanganj, Netrakona; Muna Akter Samia, 16, daughter of Sonu Mia from Kadamshree, Madan, Netrakona; Mousumi Khatun, 22, daughter of Abdul Mannan from West Naodabas, Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat; Mukta Begum, 36, daughter of Musha Dewan from Sureshwar, Naria, Shariatpur; Tofayel Ahmed, 18, son of Joj Mia from Joypur, Mohanganj, Netrakona; and Nazmul Islam Riaz, 40, from Panti village, Kumarkhali, Kushtia.

Earlier, forensic experts collected DNA samples from six bodies on October 15 and from ten more on October 16 for identification purposes.

On October 14, the fire, which broke out in the Rupnagar industrial area, gutted the multi-storey factory and warehouse building, leaving 16 workers dead and several others injured.

On October 16, the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) formed a seven- member panel to investigate the fatal fire incident.

Lt. Col Mohamamd Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director of FSCD headquarters, was made the head of the committee.