Nasima dies in Padma bus disaster after surviving Rana Plaza tragedy

A woman who once survived the catastrophic collapse of the Rana Plaza building has died in a tragic bus accident in the Padma River, underscoring a life marked by repeated misfortune and resilience.

Nasima Begum, aged around 40, from Dinajpur, was among those trapped for three days beneath the rubble of the Rana Plaza disaster in Savar, Dhaka. Against the odds, she survived that industrial tragedy in 2013, which claimed over a thousand lives and became one of the deadliest garment factory disasters in history.

However, on 25 March, her life came to a devastating end when a passenger bus plunged into the Padma River near the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari district. She was travelling with close relatives at the time of the incident. The tragedy claimed multiple lives, including Nasima, her pregnant niece Nazmira Khatun (31), and Nazmira’s four-year-old son, Abdur Rahman.

According to relatives, the group had set out together for Dhaka after spending the Eid holiday in Rajbari. What was meant to be a routine return journey turned fatal when the bus, reportedly waiting near the ferry crossing, suddenly fell into the river.

A family member, Liton Sheikh, recounted that several passengers briefly disembarked while the bus was stationary, before re-boarding shortly before the accident. Moments later, the vehicle was submerged in the strong river currents. Emergency responders later recovered the bodies after an extensive search operation.

Victims and Key Details

The bodies were later returned to their ancestral village in Atrai, under Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur, where they were buried following funeral prayers on Friday.

Nasima’s life had been shaped by hardship and endurance. After her separation from her first husband when her son was very young, she entered the ready-made garment sector in Dhaka. She survived the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, sustaining injuries but escaping death. Later, she returned to rural life and remarried.

Her second husband passed away approximately seven months ago, leaving her once again dependent on family support. Recently, she had been preparing to return to Dhaka in search of employment alongside her niece, with whom she maintained close ties.

Parbatipur Upazila Executive Officer Saddam Hossain confirmed that financial assistance of 25,000 taka had been provided to the bereaved family by the local administration.

The double tragedy of survival and eventual loss has left her family and community in deep grief, marking a sorrowful end to a life defined by perseverance against relentless adversity.