A six-year-old boy went missing after falling into the Meghna River in Hatiya Upazila, Noakhali, on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident occurred shortly after he delivered lunch to his father, a local fisherman.
The missing child, identified as Tamim, is the son of Shahadat Hossain of Paschim Charchenga village in Sonadia Union. According to local sources, Tamim had carried his father’s midday meal to the riverbank as part of his daily routine.
After the delivery, while Shahadat drank tea on the bank, Tamim played near the water’s edge with a cousin of similar age. During the play, he accidentally slipped into the river.
The cousin immediately alerted family members, who, along with local residents, launched an extensive search but were unable to locate the boy.
Upon receiving the news, teams from the Fire Service and the Coast Guard arrived at the scene to begin rescue efforts. However, the operation was hampered by the absence of a specialist diving team in Hatiya, leaving immediate underwater searches impossible. The delay sparked frustration among the local community.
Russell Iqbal, Hatiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), confirmed the situation, stating that the lack of a diving team from both the Fire Service and the Coast Guard prevented an immediate underwater search. He noted that the Coast Guard is maintaining a presence at the site to monitor the situation.
A professional diving team from Bhola is expected to arrive on Wednesday morning to initiate a full-scale underwater rescue operation.
