What should have been a simple return journey after Eid turned into a family’s heartbreak. On Wednesday, Md Ashraful Islam, 24, lost his life when a Showhardo Transport bus plunged into the Padma River at Daulatdia Ferry Ghat, cutting short a young life full of promise.
Ashraful had travelled from his parental home in Kalukhali, Rajbari, back to Dhaka, where he lived in a rented house in Mirpur 10 for work.
He worked in online services for a private company and had spent the holiday with his family. But the routine journey back ended in tragedy, leaving his family shattered.
“My brother had returned from abroad a year ago to marry. After the wedding, he stayed in Dhaka for work and never went abroad again. Within a year, his wife became a widow,” said Md Kamrul Islam, Ashraful’s elder brother, his voice choked with grief.
Ashraful had spoken to his father, Afsar Sheikh, on Wednesday afternoon, just hours before the accident.
“He told me he was boarding the Dhaka bus after attending a relative’s invitation. That was the last conversation,” his father said, tears streaming down his face.
Ashraful was the middle of three brothers and one of the primary earners in the household, which already depended heavily on his elder brother’s income.
His sudden death has left the family not only heartbroken but also facing severe financial uncertainty.
Married just a year ago, Ashraful and his wife had no children. His young widow is now left speechless, consumed by grief.
The family home in Kalukhali is steeped in silence. The sudden end of a life, the collapse of dreams, and the anguish of endless waiting have cast a shadow over every corner of the household.
The accident occurred when the bus, carrying passengers from Rajbari to Dhaka, fell into the Padma River at Daulatdia Ferry Ghat in Goalanda, Rajbari.
According to Dewan Sohel Rana, Deputy Assistant Director of Rajbari Fire Service and Civil Defence, 26 bodies have been recovered so far, as rescue operations continue.
