Unidentified dead bodies have been piling up at the morgues of two major hospitals in Dhaka in the absence of burial arrangements.
Anjuman Mofidul Islam, a charity organisation that performs the last rites of unknown dead people, has been failing to bury the bodies because of excess rainwater submerging the Jurain graveyard.
Anjuman has not taken a dead body from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in the last 15 days. The morgue at Sir Salimullah Medical College has not handed over a dead bodies to the charity body in 30 days.
Forty-four bodies were lined up on the floor of the two rooms of DMCH morgue. A putrid smell filled the air when the door opened.
“The smell is worse in the other room, you won’t be able to bear it,” said a morgue worker.
The DMCH has five mortuaries, three among them have been “out of order” for the last four months, said morgue in-charge Md Sekandar.
Bodies of Ashulia fire victims being taken to the Anjuman Mufidul Islam in Dhaka on Sunday. Photo: mustafiz mamun/ bdnews24.com/ Dhaka, Nov 24, 2012 There were bodies of 20 males, four females and 20 newborns.
“Unidentified dead bodies used to be buried in Azimpur graveyard, but they go to Jurain now which is now flooded,” said Sekandar.
Anjuman has not taken bodies from the Salimullah Medical College since the first week of June, said Shyamol Lal, morgue in-charge.
“There are 10 unidentified bodies in our only mortuary. There is a limit to the bodies we can store there. The place starts to stink up if the bodies are kept on the floor.”
The Babu Bazar Bus Stand is located at the back of the morgue.
Imam Hossain, a local drug store owner, said he had been avoiding the road south of the morgue.
“I’ve not taken that road since the second week of Ramadan because of the horrible smell,” he told to reporter.
Anjuman Mofidul has run out of land at Azimpur graveyard, said Mahmudul Hasan, an official for the charity organisation at Mugda.
“Then authorities at Jurain graveyard told us the land is currently overrun with rainwater.”
Anjuman has around seven and half acres at the Jurain graveyard, but the plot is under water, said Mawlana Shoeibur Rahman, an in-charge at the graveyard.
“Sewerage here is really bad, and the plot lies lower than the street.”
“I’ve called Anjuman and asked them to send over one or two bodies. We’ll try to bury them despite the water.”
Anjuman’s Mahmudul Hasan said he received the call from Jurain graveyard and was preparing to send over a few bodies.
“But Shoeibur will call us to stop sending bodies if it rains again.”