A heart-wrenching scene unfolded at the Mongla Port Municipal Cemetery on Friday as nine members of a single family were laid to rest side by side.
The burials followed a massive funeral prayer (Janaza) at the Mongla Upazila field, where nine coffins were placed in a row following Juma prayers.
The deceased from the family of Abdur Razzak, the president of Ward 8 BNP of Mongla Port Municipality, included Razzak himself, his sons Sabbir and Abdullah, his daughter Oishi, his daughter-in-law Putul, and four grandchildren: Arfa, Iran, Fahim, and Alif.
A pall of gloom has descended on the Shehalabunia area of Mongla town since the bodies were brought from Khulna Medical College Hospital and Rampal Hospital on Thursday night for public viewing. Over 50,000 people attended the Janaza to pay their final respects.
Meanwhile, five other victims of the tragedy – including the bride, Mitu, her sister, her maternal and paternal grandmothers, and the microbus driver – were buried in their respective home areas in Koyra and Rampal.
The burial was attended by several notable figures, including Dr Sheikh Faridul Islam, state minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and lawmaker for Bagerhat-3; Sheikh Monjurul Haque Rahat, lawmaker for Bagerhat-2; Advocate Maulana A Wadud, nayeb-e-amir of Bagerhat District Jamaat-e-Islami; Golam Md Baten, Bagerhat deputy commissioner; and Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury, district Superintendent of Police.
Local BNP leaders, including Municipal BNP President Alhaj Md Zulfikar Ali and General Secretary Mahbubur Rahman Manik, were also present.
The deaths were the result of a horrific road accident on Thursday afternoon in the Belai Bridge area of Rampal Upazila. A head-on collision occurred on the Khulna-Mongla highway between a staff-carrying bus and a microbus transporting a wedding party.
The crash claimed a total of 14 lives, including the newlywed bride and groom.
State Minister Dr Sheikh Faridul Islam described the incident as tragic and announced that the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) would provide Tk5 lakh in compensation to the family of each deceased person.
He further confirmed that a formal investigation committee would be established through the District Commissioner, with additional assistance to be provided by the government and the Navy.
Police have confirmed that a case is currently being processed as part of a thorough investigation.
