Fire in Mirpur: Schoolgirl Muna dies in fire three days after joining job

Muna Akhter (15), an eighth-grade student, left home to go to Dhaka and took a job at the Shialbari Garment Factory in Rupnagar, Mirpur. But three days after joining the job, she died in a fire at the factory. She was as calm as she was good at studies.
Muna’s body was brought to her village home, Kadamshri village in Madan upazila of Netrokona, early on Monday (October 20). Later, she was buried after the funeral prayer in her village.
It is learned that Muna Akhter is the only daughter of Sonu Mia and Mina Akhter couple from that village. Muna was the youngest of four children.
According to family sources, she moved to Dhaka a few days ago with her family out of pride. There, she got a job at the Shialbari Garment Factory through a young man she knew. But a fire broke out in the chemical warehouse of the factory and she was burnt to death.
Her cousin Abdul Bari Akand Hira said, “Muna was a very calm girl. I was looking for her in different places. But later I came to know that she also died in a fire in Mirpur. Her body was brought from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after her identity was confirmed through DNA testing last Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the police handed over the bodies of 16 people killed in the Mirpur incident to their relatives last night. Four of them, including Muna Akhtar, live in Netrokona.
The other three are Joy Mia (21), son of Sabuj Mia of Nurullarachar village in Barhatta upazila, Tofail Ahmed (18), son of Judge Mia of Joypur village in Mohanganj upazila, and Asma Akhtar (14), daughter of Nayan Mia of Southkhali village in the same upazila. In addition, the body of deceased Joy Mia’s wife Marzia Sultana (18) has not been found yet, family members said.
Marzia’s father Sultan Mia said, “I have only one daughter. I got my daughter married four months ago. She was happy after the wedding. I was not planning to go to Daha (Dhaka). People die in accidents every few days in this burning city. But my daughter convinced me not to worry. They will be safe. I rented a house near the factory. My pride is all gone. Even though I found my son-in-law’s body, I can’t find my daughter’s pride either.” In this context, Netrokona District Commissioner (DC) Abdullah Al Mahmud Zaman told us that among those who died in the Mirpur factory, the bodies of four people from Netrokona have been identified. As per the rules, the families of the deceased will be provided assistance by the administration.