After janaza, bodies of 23 victims handed over to families

The bodies of 23 identified Bangladeshi victims of ill-fated US-Bangla plane crash were handed over to the respective families for burial today.

The namaz-e-janaza of those was held at Army Stadium in Dhaka after Asr prayers today, reports our staff correspondent from the spot.

Family members and relatives broke into tears when the bodies of their dear ones were taken at the army stadium directly from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 5:00pm.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths on the coffins after the namaz-e-janaza after Asr prayers this afternoon.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury also attended the janaza along with relatives and well-wishers of the victims.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister AKM Shahjahan Kamal, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Air Chief Marshal Abu Esrar, chief of Bangladesh Air Force, Chief of Bangladesh Navy Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed were present there among others.

A Bangladesh Air Force cargo plane, bearing the coffins, landed at the airport at 4:05pm, Lt Col Alamgir Kabir, director at Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), told The Daily Star.

The bodies were taken to Bangladesh mission in Kathmandu this morning. A first namaz-e-janaza was held there from 9:00am to 10:00am, an official at the mission in Kathmandu told The Daily Star.

Those, along with the relatives of the victims, were flown back in two separate charters of Bangladesh Air Force and US-Bangla Airlines, Raj Kumar Chhetri, general manager at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal, told The Daily Star earlier today.

On March 12, 51 people were killed, including 26 Bangladeshi nationals, when the US-Bangla Airlines plane crashed in Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport while landing.