Launch fire: 2 more bodies recovered
The Marine Court has sent the launch masters to jail after they surrendered before the court on Tuesday
Two more bodies were recovered from Sugandha River on Tuesday, four days after MV Abhijan-10 caught fire and killed over 40 people.
The body of a young man was found floating in the river in the morning, while a child's body was recovered in the afternoon.
"Both the bodies' front sides were burnt and it was confirmed that they were the victims of the launch fire," said Abdul Malek, inspector of Jhalakathi police station.
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The recovered bodies were sent to the Jhalakathi Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy. Many relatives of the missing victims of the launch fire rushed to the hospital to identify the bodies.
The child was identified as Mahir, 9, son of Masud Rana from Barguna. The youth's body could not be identified.
Monir Hossain, a relative of four victims of the launch fire, filed a case yesterday at the Jhalakathi Sadar police station against eight named and 12 unnamed accused.
Among the named accused were MV Abhijan-10 owner Hamzala Sheikh, Launch Master Riyad Shikder, Second Master Khalilur Rahman, Supervisor Anower, Master Assistant Ahasan, Clerk Kamrul, Driver Masum, and Driver Kalam, said sources at the Jhalakathi Sadar police station.
Meanwhile, MV Abhijan-10 Launch Master Riyad Shikder and its Second Master Khalilur Rahman surrendered to the Marine Court in Dhaka on Tuesday and sought bail, said Belal Hossain, the prosecution lawyer at the court.
Rejecting the bail prayer, the Special Metropolitan Magistrate Joynab Begum sent them to jail, he added.
High Court seeks probe report within 30 days
The High Court has directed the shipping ministry probe body to submit their findings on the deadly fire incident of MV Abhijan-10 launch within 30 days.
The High Court bench issued the order following a writ petition on Tuesday.
Advocate Yunus Ali Akand and Barrister Anik R Haque appeared for the writ petition during the hearing yesterday.
Following the primary investigation, the probe body on Sunday said there were faults in the engine of MV Abhijan-10.
A massive fire broke out in the engine room of MV Abhijan-10 in the middle of River Sugandha off the coast of Jhalakathi Sadar upazila at around 3am on 24 December.
The incident left at least 44 people dead and scores injured.
The number of missing is at least 58 as per the data from Red Crescent Bangladesh's Jhalakathi district office.
The vessel was reportedly carrying about 1,000 passengers, according to witnesses and passengers.
