Father identifies Milestone School jet crash victim despite burns leaving her unrecognizable

Shahabul Sheikh, father of the Milestone School jet crash victim Raisa Moni, has identified his daughter’s body at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) despite burns leaving her unrecognisable.

The nine-year-old student from Milestone School and College suffered burns on 80 percent of her body, including her face.

A DNA test later confirmed her identity, and the grieving father was handed her body on Thursday night.

On Friday morning, Shahabul brought Raisa’s body back to their village in Faridpur.

Obaidur Rahman, a former union council member, said the entire area was overcome with grief.

“There wasn’t a single person who didn’t cry for Raisa,” he said.

Her funeral was held at around 9:15am, after which she was buried in the local graveyard.

Raisa had been missing since the crash, and the family had been searching for her across various hospitals.

It was on Tuesday afternoon that her father identified her body at CMH from her burnt face, her uncle Imdadul Sheikh said.

Shahabul, owner of a garments accessories business, lives in Uttara with his wife Mim Akter, their two daughters, and a son.

Raisa was the middle child. Her 14-year-old elder sister is an eighth-grade student at the same school, while her younger brother is just four years old.

Shahabul had enrolled his children at Milestone School and College with hopes of giving them a good education and upbringing. Now, devastated by the loss of his daughter, he and the rest of the family are struggling to cope with their grief.