Staff Reporter :
The environment in and around the Army Stadium in the capital was tearful when the bodies of 23 persons, who were killed in the US-Bangla plane crash in Nepal on March 12, were taken home on Monday afternoon.
The relatives, well-wishers and hundreds of people, who were present at the stadium, just weeping in their untimely and tragic death.
A cargo plane of Bangladesh Air Force, carrying the bodies, landed at the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 4:00pm.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader and Civil Aviation Minister Shahjahan Kamal officially received the bodies.
The bodies of the victims were handed over to their respective families with the help of the law enforcing agencies after the second Namaz-e-Janaza.
Twenty-three bodies have so far been identified among 26 Bangladeshi passengers who were killed at a deadly plane crash of US-Bangla airlines at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on March 12, leaving at least 50 people dead, including 22 Nepalese and one Chinese national.
The Namaz-e-Janaza of 23 Bangladesh nationals was held in the Army Stadium at 5:25pm.
Hundreds of people from all walks of life attended in the Janaza held after Asr prayers.
A survivor of the US-Bangla Airlines plane crash also attended the namaz-e-janaza of the 23 identified Bangladeshi victims. Mehedi Hasan, still with cannula for his saline drip and a support on his neck, said with teary eyes that he came even in this condition only to bid farewell to his cousin and niece.
Mehedi, the survivor, also sustained injuries on his head and neck and is receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) after he returned home along with two other family members who also survived the crash.
His cousin FH Priok, a Bangladeshi travel photographer, and Priok’s daughter Tamarra Priyonmoyee, are among the 23 identified victims of the tragic plane crash.
President Md Abdul Hamid’s military secretary paid the last respects on behalf of the President, while Minister Obaidul Quader on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, followed by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister AKM Shahjahan Kamal, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Air Chief Marshal Abu Esrar, Chief of Bangladesh Air Force and Chief of Bangladesh Navy Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed attended at the Namaz-e-Janaza, among others.
A BNP delegation, led by senior leaders Hafizuddin Ahmed and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury paid respects on behalf of the party.
Earlier, the first namaz-e-janaza was held at Bangladesh Mission in Kathmandu at 9:00am on Monday.
The identified 23 bodies are — Foysal Ahmed (AG7611296), Bilkis Ara (BC0049030), Akhtara Begum (BQ0966082), Begum Hurun Nahar Bilquis Banu (BL0077261), Nazia Afrin Chowdhury ( 0C0196215), Md Rokibul Hasan (BF0245028), Sanzida Huque (BL0129840), Md Hasan Imam (BL0077270), Meenhaz Bin Nasir (BL0948957), Akhi Moni ( BA0546584), F H Priok (BE0269054),Tamarra Prionmoyee (BR0896359), Md Motiur Rahman (BA0594388), S M Mahmudur Rahman (BA0594388), Tahira Tanvin Shashi Reza (BB0778372), Umme Salma (0C5084403),Aniruddha Zaman (BP0122973), Md Nuruz Zaman (BF0621111), Md Rafiquz Zaman (BL0601965), Pilot Abid Sultan (BE0760912), Co-pilot Prithula Rashid (BF0430528), Crew Khwaja Hossain Mohammad Shafey (AF3028136), Crew Sharmin Akhter Nabila (BE0925527).
The three bodies are yet to be identified. They are — Alifuzzaman (BQ0626689), Pias Roy (BC0759899) and Mohammad Nazrul Islam (BH0461552).
“DNA tests will be required for identifying the three other victims Alifuzzaman, Pias Roy and Mohammad Nazrul Islam, if all other methods failed,” US-Bangla officials said here.
Another survivor of the crash Kabir Hossain was also brought back by the same flight on Monday.
Kabir was directly taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) by an ambulance from the airport.
Shahin Bepari, one of the 10 injured Bangladeshis, was brought back home on Sunday.
Another injured — Eakub Ali — was sent to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.
Besides, six survivors Shahreen Ahmed, Mehedi Hasan, Saiyada Kamrunnahar Shwarna, Almun Nahar Annie, Sheikh Rashed Rubayet and Md Shahin Bepari have already reached Dhaka in last four days and all of them are undergoing treatment at DMCH.
Earlier, two critically injured Bangladeshi passengers Emrana Kabir Hashi and Rezwanul Haque were sent to Singapore from Kathmandu for better treatment, US-Bangla official sources said.
