Just three days into her new job, 16-year-old Muna Akter lost her life in the tragic fire in Mirpur’s Shialbari area. Married only six months ago, she had been dreaming of a new life with her husband—dreams that were turned to ashes in the disaster.
Originally from Netrokona, Muna had come to Dhaka seeking work. Her life was tragically cut short in the fire on Tuesday night. At the Dhaka Medical College morgue, her elder sister, Champa Akter, identified her body by the pink salwar kameez she was wearing. “She had just started working three days ago,” Champa said through tears. “She told me she would finally get her life together. Who knew her chance to start anew would end like this?”
So far, 16 people have died in the Mirpur Shialbari fire, which started in a chemical warehouse and spread to a nearby factory. Muna’s body has been sent for DNA testing and will be handed over to her family once identification is complete.
