Body Found in Turag River After Young Man Vanished”

On Tuesday afternoon, the lifeless body of a young man was recovered from the waters of the Turag River — just three days after he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The deceased, identified as 25‑year‑old Momin Khan Shakil, was found floating near the riverbank and pulled from the water by officers from the Turag River police unit.

Shakil had reportedly gone missing on the evening of 30 November. Local sources say he was last seen walking home through the Diabari area of Dhaka. His family recall that he left work at a private company and never returned. The next morning, frantic with worry, they notified the local police station upon failing to reach him.

Shakil was a resident of Porabari village in Jadanathpur Union, under Dhanbari Upazila in Tangail District. He was the sole son of Azahar Ali, who eked out a modest life for his family. Shakil worked to support a small household and was the father of a young child. His family describes him as a simple young man, always gentle and devoted — someone who dreamed of giving his child a brighter future.

When neighbours learned of his sudden disappearance, suspicion quickly spread: some claimed they witnessed strangers loitering near Diabari that evening. Others alleged the family home had earlier been threatened by unidentified individuals. In the wake of these rumours, the family believes Shakil was abducted — possibly forced into a vehicle — and later murdered. They claim his body was discarded into the river to hide evidence.

By the evening of 2 December, officers from the Turag River Police found the body. A fingerprint check confirmed his identity. At around 9:30 pm, the Dhanbani Police Station Superintendent informed the family via telephone. The news devastated them. Mourners described the moment as unimaginably heart‑rending, with neighbours crying in disbelief and confusion. A close relative recalled, “He was always cheerful; we never imagined anything like this.”

Local community members point out that Shakil had been an active participant in various political programmes organised by the ruling party. They stress, however, that he had no major personal disputes or clashes. “He often helped with community clean-ups and political rallies,” said a neighbour — though the motive for his presumed abduction remains unclear.

Authorities have launched a criminal investigation. Officers are now interviewing locals along his usual route and reviewing CCTV from nearby streets. Families of missing persons in Dhaka often decry delays in such examinations — but here, the prompt retrieval of the body and quick identification offer a sliver of hope for justice.

Even as grief envelops his household, community leaders are calling for a full, transparent inquiry. They demand that those responsible face swift prosecution and warn that such incidents jeopardise the safety of countless young workers commuting across the capital at night. The tragedy has stirred concern in Dhanbari and beyond — fuelling calls for better protection of workers, improved street‑lighting, more vigilante‑free transit, and a strengthening of trust between uniformed officers and ordinary citizens.

As mourners prepare for the final rites, many wonder how a promising life dissolved so cruelly into the murky waters of the Turag — and whether, this time, the truth will rise.