Two sisters died after drowning in a pond in Pabai village of Barkashia-Birampur union under Mohanganj upazila on Friday afternoon. The incident occurred while the family was preoccupied with the festivities of a wedding at their home.
The deceased were identified as Niha Akter, 7, and Noha Akter, 3, daughters of Nizam Uddin, a hand-trolley driver from Pabai village.
According to family sources, the wedding of Nizam Uddin’s niece was being held on Friday. While the parents and other relatives were busy attending to guests, the two children went to bathe in a pond in front of the house unnoticed and subsequently drowned.
Locals later spotted one of the children floating and raised an alarm. Family members rescued the two sisters and rushed them to the Mohanganj Upazila Health Complex, where the duty doctor pronounced them dead.
Mohanganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Hafijul Islam Harun said police were sent to the spot after being informed of the deaths by locals. He noted that while it is the rule for the health complex to notify the police of such incidents, they failed to do so.
Regarding the matter, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Momenul Islam said he had instructed all staff, including doctors, through multiple meetings to inform the police of any unnatural or accidental deaths. He mentioned that the instructions were not followed and confirmed that “proper action” would be taken in this regard.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amena Khatun also remarked that the health complex should have informed the police about the incident.
