DHAKA, March 19, 2018 (BSS) – The identified bodies of 23 Bangladeshi passengers of crashed US-Bangla aircraft were brought back here today from Kathmandu, Nepal by a cargo aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force.
The cargo flight carrying the bodies landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 4 pm.
General Secretary of Awami League and also Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader along with Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister AKM Shahjahan Kamal received the bodies at the airport.
Twenty-three bodies have so far been identified among 26 Bangladesh passengers who were killed at a deadly plane crash of US-Bangla airlines in Trivuban International Airport in Kathmandu on March 12, leaving at least 49 people dead, including 22 Nepalese and one Chinese national.
Bangladeshi victims, whose bodies were brought back today, are Foysal Ahmed, Bilkis Ara, Begum Hurun Nahar Bilquis Banu, Akhtara Begum, Nazia Afrin Chowdhury, Rokibul Hasan, Hasan Imam, Akhi Moni, Meenhaz Bin Nasir, Faruk Hossain Priok, his 2-year-old daughter Tamarra Prionmoyee, Motiur Rahman, SM Mahmudur Rahman, Tahira Tanvin Shahshi Reza, Begum Umme Salma, Nd Nuruz Zaman, Rafiq Zaman, his wife Sanzida Huque and their 6-year-old son Aniruddha Zaman and four crews – Pilot Abid Sultan, co-pilot Prithula Rashid and flight attendants Khwaja Hossain Mohammad Shafey and Sharmeen Akter Nabila.
“DNA tests will be required for identifying the three other victims – Alifuzzaman, Pias Roy and Mohammad Nazrul Islam, if all other methods fail,” US-Bangla officials said here.
After the second Namaz-e-janaza at the army stadium, the bodies will be finally handed over to relatives.
Earlier, the first Namaz-e-Janaza of 23 Bangladeshis was held on the premises of Bangladesh Embassy in Nepal, Kathmandu prior to fly for Dhaka.
The relatives of the victims, who were in Nepal for identifying the bodies, also reached Dhaka by a special flight of US-Bangla airlines half-an- hour before the air force cargo aircrafts carrying the bodies arrived here.
Another survivor of the crash Kabir Hossain was also brought back by the same flight today.
Kabir was directly taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) by an ambulance from the airport.
Six survivors Shahreen Ahmed, Mehedi Hasan, Saiyada Kamrunnahar Shwarna, Almun Nahar Annie and Sheikh Rashed Rubayet and Md Shahin Bepari have already reached here in last four days and all of them are undergoing treatment at DMCH.
Earlier, two critically Bangladeshi passengers Emrana Kabir Hashi and Rezwanul Haque were sent to Singapore from Kathmandu for better treatment, US-Bangla General Manager official sources said.
The last injured Bangladeshi passenger Eakub Ali is being treated in Nepal while Bangladesh Mission in Kathmandu is trying to transfer him to New Delhi for better treatment, the sources added.