Two primary school students have died after drowning while bathing in a wetland in Narsingdi’s Raipura upazila, in a tragic incident that has left their families and the local community in mourning.
The accident took place on Friday morning (17 July) in the Namar Char wetland, located in Bheluarchar village under Srinagar Union of Raipura upazila.
The deceased were identified as Nipa, 7, daughter of Saddam Hossain, and Jannati, 8, daughter of Nuruzzaman. Both girls were residents of Bheluarchar village and were students at Bheluarchar Government Primary School.
According to family members and local residents, the two children went to the wetland at around 10:00 a.m. with several other schoolchildren to take a bath. During the outing, Nipa and Jannati slipped beneath the water and failed to resurface.
The other children who had accompanied them immediately alerted nearby residents after realising the two girls were missing. Local people rushed to the scene and launched a search before recovering both children from beneath the water. They were taken without delay to Raipura Upazila Health Complex in the hope of saving their lives.
Medical personnel at the hospital, however, confirmed that both children had already died before they arrived.
Dr Sheela, Medical Officer at Raipura Upazila Health Complex, said the children were brought to the hospital from Bheluarchar at approximately 11:30 a.m. She stated that there were no signs of life when they reached the emergency department and that they had died before arrival.
Officer-in-Charge of Raipura Police Station, Md Mujibur Rahman, said the police had been informed of the incident and would determine the next course of action after consulting with the victims’ families.
The deaths have cast a shadow over Bheluarchar village, where relatives, neighbours and classmates gathered in grief following the incident. The sudden loss of two young students has deeply affected the local community.
Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental deaths among children in Bangladesh, particularly in rural areas where ponds, rivers, canals and seasonal wetlands are common. During the monsoon season, rising water levels and stronger currents often increase the risk of such accidents, especially when children enter open water without adult supervision.
Safety experts and child welfare advocates have long emphasised the importance of close supervision of children near water bodies, along with greater public awareness and community-based preventive measures. Incidents such as this continue to highlight the vulnerability of young children in areas where natural water bodies are easily accessible and swimming safety measures remain limited.
Authorities are expected to complete the necessary legal formalities in consultation with the bereaved families before concluding the case. The community continues to mourn the heartbreaking loss of the two young schoolgirls.
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