Sajna Akhter came to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Wednesday morning in search of her husband, Khokon Mia, 35, who went missing in the arson attack on the Mohonganj Express a day prior.
She identified one burnt body at the hospital as her husband’s by its face, teeth and clothing.
“I came to the hospital morgue and saw two dead bodies. One of them seems to be Khokon’s… The hospital authorities said the body would be handed over if there is a match after DNA profiling.”
Sajna said Khokon went to Sunamganj on December 14 for his brother's wedding. On the night of the arson, Khokon left for Dhaka with his mother, Bakula Begum, and one-year-old daughter, Sharmin, on the Mohonganj Express.
Sajna said she spoke to him over the phone at around 9pm on Monday. Later, she came to know that the train had been set on fire. Four people died in the fire.
Since then, Khokon's mobile phone has been switched off.
Dhaka Railway police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Setafur Rahman said: “The body that Sajna claims to be her husband’s is at the DMCH morgue for autopsy.
“The body will be handed over to the claimant after the post-mortem examination and DNA samples are collected and matched.”
Four people, including a woman and her three-year-old son, were killed as arsonists set three coaches of the Mohonganj Express coming from Netrokona on fire in the early hours of Tuesday.