Ornaments looted from bodies kept in morgue

As the family of three dead people were wallowing in the sorrow of losing their dear ones, there were those trying to make a their own benefits from the deaths.

Three people, including a morgue staffer of Sirajganj General Hospital, were arrested by police on Monday night for stealing valuables off of the dead bodies. Police also recovered the looted valuables.

The arrestees are Md Rana, the morgue staffer and his assistants Shah Alam and Sumon Hossain. They were sent to jail yesterday, police said.

Md Bahauddin Faruki, officer-in-charge of Sirajganj Sadar Police Station, said Rana and his associates looted gold ornaments and other valuables on the bodies of three accident victims -- a mother and her two children --, who were brought to the hospital morgue on Sunday.

A school teacher and her two children were killed, while another person was injured, when a speeding bus hit an CNG-run auto-rickshaw, carrying the victims, at Mirpur Kalachand More point in the district's Sadar upazila on Sunday noon.

The victims were identified as Ifrat Sultana Runi, 38, her son Mashbubur Rahman Wadi, 12, and daughter Soyaiba Rahman, 6.

OC Faruki added that the bus was seized from the spot of the accidents, but the family of the victims have not yet filed any case.

Mushfekus Salehin , brother of Runi, said, "When we brought the bodies back home, we realised all the valuables on them were missing. We were too occupied with the burial process but once that was done, we informed the police."

Speaking to The Daily Star, Dr Faridul Islam, residential medical officer (RMO) of the hospital, said autopsy workers operate on the bodies in the morgue.

"After this incident, we have taken steps to strengthen security in the morgue," he said, adding that departmental action will be taken against the accused hospital staff.

Meanwhile, the death of the school teacher and her children due to a road accident sparked protests in Sirajganj.

People from all walks of life formed a human chain yesterday at the Bazaar Station area in the district headquarters, demanding exemplary punishment of the bus driver and helper. They also made a five-point demand for the sake of safe roads also putting five points demands for the sake of safe road.

Agitated teachers put the demand before the roads and highways ministry through the Pabna deputy commissioner.