A local leader of Jatiyotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) went missing after falling into the Padma River when a boat carrying 123 passengers struck a pillar of the Hardinge Bridge in Bheramara upazila of Kushtia on Friday night.
The missing man was identified as Rakibuzzaman Rocky, member secretary of the Shailkupa municipality unit JCD in Jhenaidah, reports UNB.
Bheramara Police Station Officer‑in‑charge Mohammad Zahedur Rahman said a group had hired the boat to visit the Solaiman Shah Shrine in Bheramara from Katla Ghat in Shailkupa. On the return trip, the vessel was caught in a strong current and collided with pillar No. 4 of the bridge.
Three passengers, including Rocky, fell into the river as the rear portion of the bulkhead boat hit the pillar. Two of them, Liton and Wahab, were rescued, but Rocky remained missing.
Divers from the local fire service searched until 1am Saturday but failed to locate him.
Bheramara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Amirul Arafat, who visited the site, said darkness and the strong current were hampering the rescue operation, though several government units were working together.
Assistant Director of Kushtia Fire Service and Civil Defence Wadud Hossain said the strong Padma current made night‑time search operations extremely difficult.
