FE Report
Fourteen of the 26 Bangladeshis killed in the US-Bangla aircraft crash in Kathmandu were identified by forensic experts, as ordeals continued for nearly a week since the tragedy struck.
The bodies were shown to the relatives in the afternoon after disclosure of the names through a media briefing at the Tribhuvan University Hospital on Saturday.
Dr Sohel Mahmud, the head of forensic department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), who is in Kathmandu to contribute to the identification process, told the media in the briefing that in total 25 bodies could be identified so far.
A total of 49 passengers and crew were killed in Monday's airplane accident, and bodies of many of them got charred beyond recognition as the plane exploded into flames.
The process of sending the bodies back home may start Tuesday, he told the media.
The names of the 14 are: Captain of the aircraft Abid Sultan, co-pilot Prithula Rashid, cabin-crew Khwaza Saifullah, Tamara Priongmoyee, Akhtar Begum, SM Mahmudur Rahman, Bilkis Ara, Jaman Anirudha, Minhaj Bin Nasir, Tahira Tanvin Shashi, Rakibul Hasan, Matiur Rahman and Rafiq Zaman.
Meanwhile, another Bangladeshi survivor, Sheikh Rashed Rubayet, was flown in Dhaka on Saturday. From airport he was taken to DMCH.
DMCH authorities formed a separate medical board for the treatment of the five Bangladeshi survivors.
Another Bangladeshi who also had a close shave, Imrana Kabir Hashi, was scheduled to be shifted to Singapore for better treatment on Saturday night. Earlier, doctors described her condition as critical.
On Friday, Nepal's House of Representatives adopted a condolence motion in memory of the deceased.
Speaker of Nepal Parliament Krishna Bahadur Mahara moved the motion which was unanimously approved by the House. It also observed a minute's silence to express sorrow over the tragedy, reports the Kathmandu Post.
Twenty-two Nepalese, 26 Bangladeshis and one Chinese citizen were killed in the deadly crash of Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft at the Tribhuvan International Airport in the Himalayan-resort country on Monday afternoon.
Addressing the House prior to adoption of the condolence motion, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli expressed his deep sorrow on demise of 49 people and made commitment to improving the safety measures at the country's lone international airport.
"We have formed a panel to investigate the crash and suggest the government towards ensuring safety to avoid such accidents in the future. We will adopt the short- and long-term measures towards improving the safety," he said.
He also claimed that the government took prompt steps in rescue and treatment of the injured. "I also met with Bangladeshi Minister for Aviation and discussed working together for providing good treatment to the injured and identifying the bodies through forensic tests and DNA testing, if necessary," he added.
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