Padma River Boat Tragedy Leaves Father and Son Missing

Rescue personnel from the Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defence have resumed search operations on the Padma River following a fatal boat capsize that left a father and son missing. More than 20 hours after the vessel foundered on Tuesday afternoon, salvage teams continue to scour the watercourse without success.

The missing individuals have been identified as 60-year-old Afsar Ali and his son, Jiarul Islam, aged 40, both inhabitants of the Shantingar neighbourhood in Shampur, located within Paba Upazila. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon as the family was returning from a sandbar island (char) in Charkhanpur. They were transporting a heavy cargo of tamarix wood (jhaow) aboard a traditional wooden boat back towards the mainland when the vessel sank in the Padma River near the Barkuthi area of Rajshahi city.

Jiarul’s 55-year-old mother, Jahera Begum, survived the tragedy by swimming ashore. Distraught by the loss, she voiced her anguish to reporters, expressing deep sorrow and fear over whether she would ever see her husband and son again.

On Wednesday morning, the Fire Service diving team initiated the second day of their search effort. Operations were briefly delayed early in the morning whilst waiting for suitable support boats to arrive to transport the divers and specialized equipment to the designated rescue zones.

The primary obstacle confronting search crews is the powerful current sweeping through the Padma River. Due to the high flow rate, authorities anticipate that the missing individuals may have been carried downstream from the initial point of immersion. Consequently, emergency crews have broadened their search parameter across wider stretches of the river and along the embankments.

Farhad Hossain, Deputy Director of the Rajshahi Headquarters Fire Service, stated that teams have been deployed along the riverbanks, whilst neighboring police stations and riverine communities downstream have been alerted to report any sightings to the search coordinators immediately. Search efforts remain active.