Chawkbazar fire victims being buried at Azimpur Graveyard

The authorities have dug 85 graves at the burial ground in Dhaka’s Azimpur for those killed in a fire at Chawkbazar.

Burial of the victims started after the Dhaka Medical College Hospital authorities began handing over the bodies to the families on Thursday afternoon.

As many as 40 of the 67 bodies brought to hospital were delivered to the families after identification until the evening.

Many of the families started for their ancestral homes while some from Dhaka took the bodies to the Azimpur Graveyard.

Md Hafizul Islam, a senior official at the graveyard, said Md Yasin, 33, from KB Road, Old Dhaka was buried around 5:30pm.

Another victim of the fire, 40-year old ‘Ishaq’ was laid to rest around 7:30pm.

“The authorities have asked us to prepare graves following the Chawkbazar fire. We’ve dug 85,” Hafizul said.

“We are ready to bury the victims whenever the families bring the bodies. We will stay here overnight if necessary,” said Md Lutfor Rahman, an official at Dhaka South City Corporation.

Families of four other victims called to confirm that they were bringing the bodies, according to Lutfor.