Padma bus tragedy: 18 of 26 dead from Rajbari
A tragic bus accident in the Padma River at Daulatdia has claimed 26 lives, including 18 residents of Rajbari district.
The remaining deceased are from Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Dinajpur, Gopalganj, and Dhaka. Among them eight are men, eleven women, and seven children. Six passengers are still missing.
The accident occurred on Wednesday, March 15, around 5:20 pm.
According to Talha Bin Jasim, officer-in-charge of the Fire Service media cell, the Showhardo Paribahan bus slipped directly into the river while trying to board a ferry and sank immediately.
The bus sank to a depth of about 90 feet. After a prolonged rescue operation, it was recovered at 12:38 am. Around 40 passengers were on board at the time of the accident.
Among the 18 Rajbari residents who died are Rehena Akhter, 61, and her son Ahnaf Tahmid Khan, 25, Soha Akhter, 11, Zahura Anti, 27, Kazi Saif, 30, Tajbid, 7, Lima Akhtar, 26, Sabit Hasan, 8, Josna, 35, Marjina Akhtar, 32, Safia Akhtar Rinthi, 12, Faiz Shahanur, 11, Nazmira Jasmine, 30, Abdur Rahman, 6, Ujjal Sheikh, 40, Ashraful, Jahangir, and Arman Khan, 31, while the remaining eight victims are Marjina Khatun, 56, Rajib Biswas, 28, Israfil, 3, Ayesha Siddique, 13, Arman, 7 months, Mukta Khanam, 38, Nasima, 40, and Ayesha Akter Suma, 30, from other districts.
The remaining eight deceased are Marjina Khatun, 56, wife of Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique of Mazampur, Kushtia, Rajib Biswas, 28, son of Himanshu Biswas of Khagrabari, Israfil, 3, son of Delwar Hossain of Dhusundur, Khoksha Samajpur, Ayesha Siddique, 13, daughter of Giasuddin Ripon of Samaspur, Arman, 7 months, daughter of Nuruzzaman of Kacherkol Khandakbaria, Shailkupa, Jhenaidah, Mukta Khanam, 38, wife of the late Jahangir Alam of Amtoli Noadha, Kotali Para, Gopalganj, Nasima, 40, wife of the late Nur Islam of Palashbari Mathuara, Parbatipur, Dinajpur, and Ayesha Akter Suma, 30, wife of Md. Nuruzzaman of Bagdhunia Palpara, Ashulia, Dhaka.
Eight passengers were rescued alive with the help of locals and rescue teams, including three men and five women. Two women later died in hospital.
Fire Service teams recovered 22 bodies from inside the bus, comprising six men, eleven women, and five children, four boys and one girl.
In total, 23 victims were recovered by the Fire Service, two rescued by locals were declared dead at the hospital, and one was recovered by Navy divers. Six passengers are still missing.
The rescue operation involved four Fire Service units and ten divers, with support from the Army, Police, BIWTA, Coast Guard, and local administration.
Efforts to locate the missing passengers are ongoing.
Rubelur Rahman/MHK