Bangladesh police file case over deadly Cox’s Bazar resort fire

Police in Bangladesh have filed a case over the Oct. 17 fire at Tuptup Resto & Resort in Cox’s Bazar that killed 10 people, adding a formal criminal investigation to the disaster response.

Atiqur Rahman Majumder, officer-in-charge of Ukhiya Police Station, confirmed the filing, The Business Standard reported. He declined to identify the accused or say how many people were named.

Authorities plan deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing to identify the recovered bodies and resolve uncertainty over missing people. The bodies will remain at Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital’s morgue pending a decision on release to families.

Md Abul Kalam Azad, a special superintendent with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said samples would be collected at hospitals in Cox’s Bazar. The CID could bring a specialized team from Dhaka if needed.