Two Bangladeshi nationals—Biman Bangladesh Airlines pilot Saifuzzaman and business leader Abdullah Hil Rakib—have died in a boating accident at Kawartha Lake in Canada.
Biman spokesperson Raushan Kabir confirmed that Saifuzzaman served as a Boeing 787 pilot for the national carrier. Another source reported that Rakib was former vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Local police confirmed the deaths in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Expatriate Bangladeshis in Toronto reported that both victims had traveled with their families to Kawartha Lake—155 km from Toronto—on Sunday (local time). Saifuzzaman, his son, and Rakib were on a small dinghy when strong winds capsized the boat around 3pm. While the son swam ashore, the two adults drowned. Police and rescue teams later recovered their bodies.
The tragedy has cast a pall over Canada’s Bangladeshi expatriate community.