The death toll from the deadly fire in MV Obhijan-10 on the Sugandha River near Jhalakathi has reached 42 with the recovery of another body from the Bishkhali River at Shachilapur in Jhalakathi Monday morning.
Deputy Commissioner Md Zohar Ali said firefighters recovered the body from the river around 9:00am after being informed by the local police.
The deceased was identified as Hakim Sharif, 60, of Barguna Sadar upazila.
Hakim’s cousin, Kohinur Begum, identified the body.
Three of his family members — wife Priya Begum, 55, daughter Hafsa,17, and son Nasir Ullah — with whom he was travelling to Barguna remained missing.
However, Coast Guard members and firefighters continued their search operation on the Sugandha River for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.
Meanwhile, the police control room set up at the launch terminal provided the information of 47 missing passengers so far, said Md Salauddin, sub-inspector of Jhalakathi Sadar police station.
Members of Rapid Action Battalion have arrested Hamjalal Sheikh, one of the owners of the launch, in connection with the deadly fire incident.
Assistant Superintendent of Police ANM Imran Khan, assistant director (legal and media wing) of RAB, said Hamjalal was held in Keraniganj early Monday.
His arrest followed Dhaka Marine Court’s warrants for the arrest of four owners and four drivers of the launch as a case filed by the Department of Shipping.
The accused in the case are four owners of the launch company, "Messers Al Araf and Company", Md Hamjalal Sheikh, Md Shamim Ahmed, Md Rasel Ahmed, and Ferdous Hasan Rabby, in-charge master of Obhijan-10 Md Riaz Sikder, in-charge driver Masum Billah, second master Khalilur Rahman, and second driver Abul Kalam.
The shipping department suspended the licences of the launch and its drivers.
A three-member probe committee was formed on Sunday by the department that will submit a report within 15 working days after investigating the fire incident.
The blaze broke out at 3:00am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 41 on Saturday night. Besides, over 70 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
However, the exact number of passengers travelling by the launch and the missing passengers is yet to be known.
