Missing Tourist’s Body Recovered After 40-Hour Search in Nikli Haor

The body of a young tourist from Gazipur, who went missing after diving into the expansive Nikli Haor in Kishoreganj, has been recovered following a grueling forty-hour search operation. Fire service divers and local police retrieved the floating body of Shafiqul Islam Tulu, 28, from the Ghorautra River early on Sunday morning. The tragic incident has cast a profound shadow of grief over fellow travelers and residents in the popular wetland tourist hub.

The deceased was identified as the son of Habibur Rahman, residing in Kandania village under the Kapasia sub-district of Gazipur. Tulu had arrived at the scenic Nikli Haor on Friday morning as part of a twenty-five-member travel excursion organized from his hometown.

According to the Officer-in-Charge of Nikli Police Station, Mahbubur Rahman, the incident transpired on Friday afternoon. The tour group was traversing the Kathalia area under the Dampara union when the engine of their mechanised boat suddenly malfunctioned, leaving them stranded in open water. Seeking to pass the time, Tulu and two of his companions decided to bathe and play a diving game in the vast waters. During the activity, Tulu was abruptly swept away by a powerful undercurrent and submerged into deep water. His friends made desperate attempts to locate and rescue him, but the sheer velocity of the water overwhelmed their efforts.

Ahsan Habib, the Station Officer of Nikli Fire Service, stated that search and rescue divers initiated operations immediately after being notified on Friday afternoon. Turbid waters and unpredictable monsoon currents hampered initial efforts, yielding no results during the first two days of the operation. The breakthrough came on Sunday morning when local villagers spotted a body floating in the Ghorautra River, approximately two kilometers away from the original site of the accident.

Emergency teams quickly mobilized to retrieve the body, which was later identified by grieving relatives. The local police department has registered a case of unnatural death concerning the incident. Administrative formalities are underway to hand over the body to the family for burial, whilst local authorities have reiterated their warnings to tourists regarding the hidden dangers of swimming in unregulated wetland areas without proper flotation devices.