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Hoping against hope

61 more bodies retrieved, scores floating, launch still untraced

Star Report
Over 72 hours after the deadliest ever launch disaster in Bangladesh. 61 more bodies were retrieved and scores of bloated others were floating down the Meghna yesterday, with relatives of the victims hoping against hope,
Although the hopes of finding any more passengers alive have died down, hundreds of grieving friends and relatives lined the Meghna banks only to take the bodies of their loved ones back home for burial. "I want him back, no matter he is alive or dead," 45-year-old Marium Begum sobbed out die loss of her husband.
Marium is among hundred other women, bleak-eyed and tired from
agonising wait - part of a train of images unfolded by the sinking of the MV Nasrin-1 Tuesday in the latest in a series of such disasters.
The 61 bodies were retrieved from the offshore regions of Chandpur, Mehendiganj, Bhola, Borhanuddin, Tazuddin, Lalmohon, Char Fashion. Ilisha. Doulatkhan, Tamujuddin and Andharmanik, taking the body count to 79 until last night
Confirming the recovery, officials said they were trying to send the bodies in special arrangements to Lalmohon for identification by relatives. Lalmohon was the last stop of the craft that sank at about 10:45pm Tuesday in the confluence of three mighty rivers at Chandpur with about 750 passengers aboard,
two times in excess of its listed capacity.
With officials and people in the neighouring villages estimating that over 200 passengers swam to the shore and were rescued, the rest are feared to have met watery grave.
Quoting the chairman of Andharmanik Union Parishad, Abdur Rahman, our Barisal correspondent reported that scores of bodies were found floating in strong currents in different channels of the Meghna.
Nine bodies were recovered from Hizla in Barisal, five from Borhanuddin in Bhola, seven from Ilisha, seven from Char Fashion, six from ‘Ihjumuddin, two each from Doulatkhan and lalmohon and the rest from other offshore areas and
tributaries.
Among the dead were Abul Bashar, upazila education officer of Lalmohon. Khokon of Char Sakina. Hazera Begum of west Char Umed, Abul Khair of Peshkar Hari and Lal Mia of CharVuta.Thc rest could not be identified.
Our staff correspondent adds from Chandpur: The recovery of two more bodies brought to four the number of bodies retrieved from the choppy waters of Meghna at Chandpur.
Rescue operators of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, navy, fire brigade and police recovered the bodies three kilometres off Chandpur town. One bloated body was recovered from Harisabha area Bangladesh Navy officials hoped that rescue ship Shaibal that arrived at 9:30 last night, equipped with modern detection gadgets, will be able to locate the launch.
"We're hopeful. We will be able to get the image of the sunken launch, if no hindrance is created by silt build-ups," said Lt. Commander SalauddinAhmed.
MINISTERIAL ORDER
Visiting Chandpur three days after the launch capsize, Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain instructed the local administration, and searchers of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, navy and other agencies to trace and recover the sunken launch within 48 hours.
The minister said the salvage would be abandoned if the launch was not located during this time.
A special prayer was offered after Juma prayers in all mosques in Chandpur seeking peace of the departed souls.