Gloom descends as distraught families take bodies of 23 Nepal air crash victims in Dhaka

Selina Parveen Jharna was wailing as a police officer was requesting her to sign the papers to receive the body of her son Rokibul Hasan killed in US-Bangla Airlines plane crash in Nepal.

Masum Billah Obaidur Masum, Atik Faysal and Rifat Rahmanbdnews24.com
Published : 19 March 2018, 08:40 PM
Updated : 19 March 2018, 09:32 PM

“You were my only treasure. You left me without saying anything. I have nothing left in this world…” said the grieving mother who lost her husband nine years ago.  

The sexagenarian was not the only one, there were 22 other families who all were in tears mourning their loved ones at the Army Stadium in Dhaka where mass funeral prayers were held on Monday.

Army personnel carry the bodies.

The authorities brought back 23 bodies of the Nepal air crash victims and handed those to their families after a Namaz-e-Janaza at the stadium.    

A stage was erected at the stadium where the coffins covered with flowers were placed.

Software engineer Rokibul was travelling to Nepal on Mar 12 as a tourist along with his wife, Emrana Kabir Hashi.

Hashi, a computer science and engineering teacher at the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, survived the crash and was taken to Singapore for treatment.  

The US-Bangla aircraft carrying the couple and 69 others ended its flight from Dhaka in the crash near the runway of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, killing 49.

Thirty-two of the passengers and all four crew members were Bangladeshis. Twenty-six of them died in the crash. Three more bodies of Bangladeshi victims are awaiting identification in Nepal.

Rokibul's sister-in-law Shahi Noor told bdnews24.com Rokibul, hailing from Sirajganj, has a sister who lives abroad.

Selina Parveen Jharna lost her son Rokibul Hasan in the crash.

Victim Akhi Moni’s mother Hasina Begum was weeping at another side of the gallery.

Akhi was on a honeymoon trip 13 days after her marriage with Meenhaz Bin Nasir, a Bangladeshi expatriate in the US. Meenhaz also died in the crash.

“She was my only daughter. I loved her so much. I shared all my sorrows, happiness with her. She could take hard things easily. That daughter of mine is gone,” Hasina said.

The plane’s pilot Abid Sultan and first officer Prithula Rashid also lost their lives in the crash. 

Anisur Rashid and Rafeza Begum came to receive the body of their daughter Prithula.

“We’ve lost our daughter. We have lost many others. We want all to pray for those killed in the crash, nothing else,” Rafeza said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Rafeza’s brother Saifur Rahman later said they buried Prithula at Mirpur after another Namaz-e-Janaza at the Asa Tower in Shyamoli in the evening. Prithula had studied at Asa University.

Prithula Rashid's mother breaks down in tears.

Pilot Abid’s brother Professor Khurshid Mahmud, cousin Mostafizur Rahman and brother-in-law Oaliur Rahman came to take his remains.

Mostafizur said the former Bangladesh Air Force officer would be buried at the military graveyard in Banani.

Tanzid Sultan, the only son of Abid Sultan, waits to receive the body of his father.

Nuruzzaman Babu from Pabna, a junior assistant foreman of Runner Automobiles, lived in Dhaka’s Mirpur. He was travelling with two of his colleagues to train mechanics of the company. All three died in the crash.

Babu’s mother Nurjahan Begum, wife Sultana Begum and son Hamim Zaman Nishat came to receive his mortal remains.

As the other colleagues of Babu were trying to console the family, Nur Jahan asked, “How can I have patience? My son left home on this day a week ago, and now he returns in a coffin. Allah, how could you take him away?”  

Nazrul Islam, a former senior principal officer of Bangladesh Development Bank Limited or BDBL in Rajshahi, and his wife Akhtara Begum, a former teacher of Rajshahi Government Women’s College, were on a tour after retirement. The disaster claimed their lives.

Daughters Nargis Akter Kanak and Naznin Akter Kankon took their bodies at the stadium and returned to Rajshahi for burial.

Nargis Akter Kanak and Naznin Akter Kankon came to receive the bodies of their parents Nazrul Islam and Akhtara Begum.

US-Bangla cabin crew Khwaja Hussain Md Shafey’s wife Sadia Rahman, who is also a cabin crew of the airliner, came with their relatives.

Her aunt Suraiya Abbasi said they got the news of the accident when Sadia was preparing for a flight to Doha. The couple tied the knot 14 months ago.

Suraiya said they would bury Khwaja at Dhaka’s Begumbazar.