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Anxious relatives wait for updates, condolences pour in

FE Report | March 13, 2018 00:00:00


Shocks and condolences poured in after Monday's deadly crash of a US-Bangla aircraft in Nepal that left 50 people, including Bangladeshis, dead.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the crash.

Hasina also phoned her Nepalese counterpart after the crash and assured him of all help.

Two officials of the Planning Commission Umme Salma, Nazia Afrin Chowdhury and Assistant Professor of Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology Imrana Kabir Hashi were among the Bangladeshis aboard the plane.

A total of 13 Nepali students of Ragib-Rabeya Medical College Hospital in Sylhet were on board.

As the news of the crash became the headlines of local and overseas media, tense family members and relatives of the passengers were seen gathering at the office of the private airliner at Baridhara in the capital to get the information about the victims.

Many of them also rushed to the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Many of them were seen crying after failing to get any update on the victims. They were browsing websites of media houses on mobile phone handsets.

SM Abul Kalam Azad, brother of a government official who was on board the plane, was seen crying outside the airline office.

Talking to the FE, Mr. Azad said he knew nothing about his sister, Umme Salma. Salma, a Planning Ministry official, left for Nepal for a three-day official visit.

"Please, let us know what happened to our family members and relatives. We can't take it. It's very hard….please…please," he said before started crying again.

Some of them burst into tears after visiting Facebook page of some of the passengers who posted something before his/her departure from Bangladesh.

Pias Roy was one of the victims who shared a photo of him while he was at HSIA and states "#Tata my country for 5 days, #Hailing to the land of the Everest.

While Annie Priok posted "Ready to fly to Kathmandu from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport ...Pls keep us on your prayer."

Annie's husband FH Priok, their child Tamarra Prionmoyee, her cousin Mehedi Hasan and Mehedi's wife Saiyada Kamrunnahar Shwarna were also on the flight.

The shock and mourning were also reflected on the social media, especially on Facebook where users prayed for early recovery of the injured persons and salvation to the departed souls.

Meanwhile the embassy of Bangladesh in Kathmandu has opened a hotline for family members and friends of the passengers. The hotline numbers were +9779810100401 and +9779861467422.

People from various walks of life, including the President and the Prime Minister, expressed their condolence in the worst ever plane crash in the history of Bangladesh aviation.

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus also expressed deep shock at the loss of lives of passengers and members of crew in the unfortunate crash of the US-Bangla flight Monday.

"I am praying to the Almighty for salvation of the departed souls and for granting fortitude to the families to bear the irreparable loss," Dr Yunus said.

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