Ashulia blast: DNA samples sent to identify five victims

DNA samples from five charred bodies recovered from a burnt covered van after the Pretty Group explosion in Ashulia were sent to the CID forensic department for identification.

Samples from nine members of five families who reported relatives missing were also sent for DNA matching, said Harun-or-Rashid, inspector of Ashulia Police Station and investigation officer in the case.

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He said it was unclear how long the tests would take, but police would ask the CID to provide the results as soon as possible.

Among those missing is 18-year-old Imtiaz Kazi, whose father, Mohammad Saiful Kazi of Uttar Manda under Mugda Police Station, has been searching for him since the explosion.

Saiful told The Daily Star yesterday that Imtiaz had travelled from Bhola to Ashulia as an assistant to Nur Islam, the covered van driver and Saiful’s nephew, who died in the explosion. The van was carrying gas cylinders.

Police suspect Imtiaz may be among the five unidentified bodies, Saiful said. With Ashulia police’s assistance, he provided a DNA sample to the CID for matching on Tuesday.

Md Shufi Ullah, special superintendent of police at the CID’s media wing, said the results would take around a month.

“The samples we received are from hard tissue. It would take less time with soft tissue,” he said.

So far, eight people have been confirmed dead in the explosion.

The families of the three victims have not filed any cases. Police, however, have filed a case accusing the defendants of causing the explosion through the unplanned use of flammable substances. Six factory officers and employees are among the 10 to 12 accused.

Labour leaders have questioned why the company’s managing director, the owner of the CNG station that allegedly supplied gas illegally, and officials of Titas and the Department of Explosives responsible for monitoring the sector were not named as accused.

Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, said the managing director bears primary responsibility for an organisation’s operations. He also alleged that the company had illegally stored gas in expired cylinders, leading to the explosion and deaths.

Asked about the allegations, Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Tariqul Islam said those initially believed to be responsible had been named in the case.

“Those found during the investigation to have been involved in crimes or negligence of duty can also be named in the case. Perpetrators will not be spared,” he added.

Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of police of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, said four Pretty Group factories remained closed yesterday for the third consecutive day.

Meanwhile, leaders and activists of the National Garments Workers Unity and the Textile Garments Workers Federation formed a human chain in front of Pretty Group yesterday, demanding justice and compensation for the victims.

They also demanded investigations into the cause of the explosion and the use of expired and risky gas cylinders, with legal action and exemplary punishment for those responsible; appropriate compensation for workers killed or injured and their families in accordance with ILO Convention 121; treatment and rehabilitation for injured workers; workplace safety in all garment factories; and regular factory inspections and strict enforcement of safety measures to prevent such accidents.