At least 24 bodies have been recovered after a bus plunged into the Padma River at Daulatdia ferry ghat in Goalanda Upazila on Wednesday evening while attempting to board a ferry.
Of the recovered victims, 22 have been handed over to their families.
Among those retrieved from the bus were 22 bodies: eight men, eleven women, and five children (four boys and one girl). Overall, 26 fatalities have been confirmed so far. The Fire Service recovered 23, local volunteers two, and Navy divers one.
The deceased include people from across Rajbari, Kushtia, Gopalganj, Dinajpur, Jhenaidah, and Dhaka. Among them are children as young as seven months and adults in their sixties. The bus driver, Arman Khan, 31, of Balikandi, Rajbari, is also among the dead. Families and relatives gathered anxiously at the riverbank as bodies were recovered.
The accident occurred around 5pm when the Showhardo Paribahan bus, carrying approximately 40 passengers, reportedly lost control.
Photos: Syed Mahamudur Rahman / TIMES
Eyewitnesses said the vehicle slid uncontrollably as it tried to board the ferry, plunging into the river’s 60-foot-deep waters. Some passengers escaped immediately with the help of locals, but many sank with the bus.
Fire Service and Civil Defence teams, assisted by divers, the Army, River Police, the Coast Guard, local administration, and volunteers, launched a major rescue operation through the night. The bus was eventually located and raised using underwater hooks around 12:38am.
Eight people survived the ordeal, including three men and five women. Two of the women were later declared dead at the hospital.
Senior officials said rescue operations remain challenging due to strong river currents, darkness, and the bus’s submerged position. Some victims may still be trapped inside the wreck or swept away by the river. Authorities continue to search for the missing, fearing the toll could rise.
The district administration has formed a five-member investigation committee, led by the Additional District Magistrate with the Upazila Executive Officer as member-secretary. The committee has been instructed to submit a report within three days after on-site investigation.
According to official sources, the deceased so far include Rehena Akter, 61, wife of the late Ismail Hossain Khan, from Bhobanipur, Lalmia Road, Rajbari Municipality, Rajbari; Marzina Khatun, 56, wife of Md Abu Bakker Siddiq, from Mojompur, Ward No 18, Kushtia Municipality, Kushtia; Rajib Biswas, 28, son of Himangshu Biswas, from Khagrabaria, Kushtia Sadar, Kushtia; Zahura Anti, 27, daughter of the late Dr Abdul Alim, from Sajjankanda, Ward No 5, Rajbari Municipality; Kazi Saif, 30, son of Kazi Mukul, from Sajjankanda, Ward No 5, Rajbari Municipality; Marzina Akter, 32, wife of Rezaul Karim, from Char Barkipara, Choto Bhakla Union, Goalanda Upazila, Rajbari; Israfil, 3, son of Delowar Hossain, from Dhushundu, Samajpur Union, Khoksa Upazila, Kushtia; Safia Akter Rinthi, 12, daughter of Rezaul Karim, from Char Barkipara, Choto Bhakla Union, Goalanda Upazila, Rajbari; Faiz Shahanur, 11, son of Billal Hossain, from Bhobanipur, Boalia Union, Kalukhali Upazila, Rajbari; Tajbid, 7, son of KBM Musabbir, from Sajjankanda, Ward No 5, Rajbari Municipality; Arman Khan, 31, son of Arab Khan, from West Khalkhola, Balikandi Upazila, Rajbari, the bus driver; Nazmira alias Jesmin, 30, wife of Abdul Aziz, from Belgachi, Madendrapur Union, Kalukhali Upazila, Rajbari; Lima Akter, 26, daughter of Sobahan Mondol, from Ramchandrapur, Mizanpur Union, Rajbari Sadar, Rajbari; Josnya, 35, wife of Mannan Mondol, from Borochor Beni Nagar, Mizanpur Union, Rajbari Sadar, Rajbari; Mukta Khanam, 38, wife of the late Jahangir Alam, daughter of Siddiqur Rahman, from Noadha, Amtoli Union, Kotalipara Upazila, Gopalganj; Nashima, 40, wife of the late Nur Islam, from Mathurrai, Palashbari Union, Parbatipur Upazila, Dinajpur; Ayesha Akter Suma, 30, wife of Md Nuruzzaman, from Bagdhunia Palpara, Ashulia Upazila, Dhaka; Soha Akter, 11, daughter of Sohel Molla, from Rajbari Municipality, Rajbari; Ayesha Siddika, 13, daughter of Giasuddin Ripon, from Samsurpur Union, Khoksa Upazila, Kushtia; Arman, 7 months, son of Nuruzzaman, from Khandakbaria, Kacherkol Union, Shailkupa Upazila, Jhenaidah; Abdur Rahman, 6, son of Abdul Aziz, from Mahendrapur, Ratanodia Union, Kalukhali Upazila, Rajbari; Sabit Hasan, 8, son of Shariful Islam, from Agmarai, Dadshi Union, Rajbari Sadar, Rajbari; and Ahnaf Tahmid Khan, 25, son of Ismail Hossain Khan, from Bhobanipur, Ward No 8, Rajbari Sadar, Rajbari.
Photo: Syed Mahamudur Rahman / TIMES
Eyewitnesses said a utility ferry, Hasna Hena, struck the pontoon as the bus attempted to board, causing the driver to lose control. A storm across the river hampered rescue operations for nearly 40 minutes.
The bus had left Kumarkhali in Kushtia at 2:20pm, picking up passengers along the way. The exact number aboard remains unclear, adding to the uncertainty. Rescue teams are working under the supervision of Senior Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Md Hafizur Rahman.
Officials and rescue teams warned that some victims might never recover due to the river’s strong currents and the depth at which the bus sank. Families continue to wait at the riverbank, torn between hope and despair, as search operations press on.
