#Title

BENAPOLE EXPRESS FIRE
‘Why should we suffer for political vengeance?’
Bodies identified, handed over to relatives after 40 days; police yet to find perpetrators; PBI to take over case
MOHAMMAD JAMIL KHAN
Around 40 days after the arson attack on Benapole Express on January 5, police handed over bodies of four victims to their relatives from Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue yesterday.
Ferdous Ahmed Biswas, officer-in-charge of Dhaka Railway Police Station, handed over the bodies around 12:30pm.
“The bodies were completely burned by the fire and were beyond recognition,” he said.
“We took the DNA samples of relatives who claimed the bodies and made cross-matches in the Criminal Investigation Department’s laboratory as per the directives of the court,” he said. “We handed over the bodies after the results came.”
The deceased were identified as Elina Yasmin, 44; Abu Talha, 23; Chandrima Choudhury, 28, and Natasha Jeasmin Neki, 25.
Relatives and close ones of all four deceased were present to receive their bodies, according to police.
Syed Sajjad Hossain Chapol, husband of Elina, who came to receive her body alongside Elina’s brother Moniruzzaman Mamun, said, “Why should we suffer for political vengeance?”
“Some people, including my wife, died due to political vengeance. What am I going to say to my child?” Chapol told The Daily Star.
“We want these to stop,” he said, requesting everyone to pray for his family.
Natasha’s elder brother Khurshid Ahmed said, “After waiting for 40 days, I got my sister’s body. I cannot explain how our family spent these 40 days. No one should be subjected to such agony.”
Khurshid demanded a fair trial for the incident.
Talha’s father Md Abdul Haque, a private company employee by profession, is still in shock.
“My son is no more, and he will not return. I have nothing to say about justice. What will I do with the trial?” Haque said.
At least four people were killed and over a dozen were injured after arsonists set fire to the Benapole Express train in Dhaka around 9:00pm on January 5.
To this day, police remain in the dark regarding who set fire to the train.
After the incident, the police’s Detective Branch arrested BNP leader Nabiullah Nabi and Jubo Dal leader Kazi Mansur Alam for setting fire to the train. Later, they were shown arrested by Dhaka Railway Police.
Police said in interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they held a virtual meeting for planning sabotage.
However, the police failed to identify who set fire to the train.
Anwar Hossain, superintendent of Dhaka Railway Police, said, “We are investigating the case.”
“The Police Headquarters has decided to transfer the case to the Police Bureau of Investigation. We have yet to receive the documents. Once we get them, we will hand them over to PBI,” Anwar added.
The police have also failed to trace those behind the arson attack on Mohanganj Express. On December 19 last year, miscreants set fire to the train early in the morning, killing four, including a woman and her children.
Police said two individuals were seen boarding the train from the Airport Railway Station in the CCTV footage. They got off the train at the Tejgaon station before the fire broke out. Their movements were suspicious. However, it was not possible to identify them.
Investigation of this case was directed to the CID, said SP Anwar.