Ten bodies handed over, another skeleton found

The bodies of 10 people from two families killed in a fire at Tuptup Resto and Resort in Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar, were handed over to their relatives on Tuesday after DNA tests.
Meanwhile, another burnt skeleton was recovered from the resort’s ruins on Tuesday, 10 days after the 17 October fire. It is suspected to be the remains of Nasrin Akhter Muktar, a schoolteacher and wife of a Chhatra Dal leader, who has been missing since the incident.
Police and fire service personnel resumed searching the ruins after DNA tests confirmed the identities of the 10 victims, raising questions about the whereabouts of the remaining missing person.
The bodies were handed over to the families at Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital around 2:30pm. The relatives left with the bodies in ambulances around 3:30pm, said Rimon Ghosh, the investigation officer in the case.
Among the victims were four members of a family: Mohammad Nahidur Rahman, 41, an official of Grand Power Limited in Dhaka’s Shyamoli; his wife, Afsana Matin, 36; and their daughters, Rozaina Inaya, 9, and Munaina Ihana, 6.
The other six victims were Maulita Mehjabin Alvi, 19; her cousins Laila Jahan Nabila, 25, Israt Jahan Maliha, 27, and Faria Kabir, 33; Faria’s six-year-old son, Mohammad Faizan Noor; and Faria’s brother, Mohammad Nafis Tehami, 24. The families lived in Dhaka’s Banasree and Khilgaon areas.
The fire broke out on the morning of 17 October at the three-storey resort beside Marine Drive near Patuartek beach in Ukhiya, about 28 kilometres from Cox’s Bazar town. Tourists were staying in eight rooms on the first and second floors, while the ground floor housed a restaurant and staff quarters.
Authorities initially reported recovering 10 bodies from the resort, while 11 people were listed as missing. After the identities of the 10 victims were confirmed through DNA tests, Nasrin’s disappearance remained unexplained.
Ukhia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Atiqur Rahman said the burnt skeleton was found beneath a pile of ash near a toilet on the resort’s third floor. It could be the remains of the missing teacher, he added. Police have filed a case against 23 people over the fire, naming resort owner Mohammad Tanvir Sultan Mia as the prime accused. Tanvir has been absconding since the incident, while co-owner Newaz Morshed is also reportedly in hiding. Assistant manager Zahid Hossain is the only person arrested so far, according to police.
The Cox’s Bazar district administration has formed a seven-member investigation committee, headed by Additional District Magistrate Tasneem Jahan, to investigate the incident. The committee has yet to submit its report.