Deadly Sadarghat Launch Collision

A fatal collision between two passenger launches at Dhaka’s Sadarghat river terminal has left one man dead, another missing, and rescue operations temporarily suspended.

The victim has been identified as Sohel, 22, a resident of Mehendiganj in the Barishal region. Police confirmed that he died from severe blood loss after sustaining critical injuries in the incident.

The collision occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday near pontoon number 14, a densely crowded section of the terminal. According to police, the launch Asha Jaoa-5, operating on the Dhaka–Ilisha route, was taking on passengers from a smaller vessel when it was struck by another launch, MV Zakir Samrat-3, which operates on the Dhaka–Deula–Ghosherhat route.

Eyewitnesses and video footage shared on social media show that the rear corner of MV Zakir Samrat-3 hit the side of Asha Jaoa-5 with considerable force. Two passengers standing near the outer edge of the launch were caught in the impact. One was thrown into the river, while the other was left critically injured on the exterior of the vessel.

Authorities later recovered Sohel’s body and transported it to a nearby hospital. Officials confirmed that his father-in-law, Miraj Fakir, remains missing and is believed to have fallen into the river during the collision. His mother-in-law, Ruba Fakir, was injured and is currently receiving treatment.

Emergency responders from the fire service arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and deployed two divers to search for missing persons. Despite several hours of effort, no additional victims were located.

A fire service control room official stated that the search operation was suspended in the evening due to poor visibility and safety concerns after nightfall. The operation is expected to resume the following morning.

The incident has once again raised concerns about safety at Sadarghat, one of the busiest inland river ports in the country, where heavy vessel traffic and limited manoeuvring space frequently contribute to accidents.

Incident Summary

Authorities have indicated that an investigation will be carried out to determine the exact cause of the collision and whether any negligence or safety lapses were involved.