10 Cox’s Bazar resort fire victims identified

The identities of 10 people who died in a fire at Tuptup Resto Resort at Patuartek Beach, Inani in Cox’s Bazar have been confirmed through DNA testing.

However, the whereabouts of missing schoolteacher Nasrin Akter Mukta remain unknown.

The identified victims include members of two families from Dhaka—four from one family and six from another.

The four members of one family were Mohammad Nahidur Rahman (41), an official at Grand Power Limited in Shyamoli, Dhaka; his wife, Afsana Matin (36); and their two daughters, Rozaina Inaya (9) and Munaina Ihana (6).

The six members of the other family were Mouliota Mehzabin Alvi (19), her cousins Layla Jahan Nabila (25) and Israt Jahan Mahila (27), another relative, Faria Kabir (33), Faria’s six-year-old son Mohammad Faizan Noor, and Faria’s brother, Mohammad Nafis Tehami (24). They lived in Dhaka’s Banasree and Khilgaon areas.

Nafis Tehami was also known as Jerif. He was a student in the 2020–21 academic session of the Department of Chinese Language and Culture at the Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka.

Mouliota Mehzabin Alvi was studying Population and Public Health Sciences at East West University, while Layla Jahan Nabila was a student in the Department of Chemistry at Jagannath University.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted DNA tests on the bodies recovered after the fire and compared the results with samples collected from relatives to establish the victims’ identities.

Confirming the identification, investigation officer Rimon Ghosh said the bodies would be handed over to their families today (Tuesday).

Although the identities of all 10 recovered bodies have been established, missing schoolteacher Nasrin Akter Mukta has yet to be traced.

According to investigation officer Rimon Ghosh, DNA samples from the recovered bodies did not match Mukta’s DNA.

Mukta was a teacher at Swapnabilash Niribili School in Ashulia, Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

She had travelled to Cox’s Bazar with two female friends. Her husband, Dewan Faisal, is a former leader of the Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal in Dhaka district. Her father’s name is Mostafa Kamal.

Following the fire, authorities initially reported recovering 10 bodies from the resort. However, 11 people had been listed as missing.

The fact that Mukta’s DNA did not match any of the recovered bodies has made the discrepancy even more significant.

The search for Mukta continues, as her family remains without answers about her whereabouts.