Divers have recovered the bodies of three people who went missing while bathing in the Shitalakshya river in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi.
The deceased were identified as Md Obaydullah, 38, son of Billal Hossain of Bhangal village under Kaliganj Police Station in Gazipur district; Sourav, 20, son of Mojnu Miah of Shibpur Police Station in Narsingdi; and Shanta, 16, of Phulbaria village under Kapasia Police Station.
The search for the remaining missing person, Shanto, 24, is ongoing.
According to police and locals, Obaydullah, Shanta and Shanto had gone to visit the residence of Mojnu Miah in Lakhpur village under Dulalpur Union of Shibpur upazila. Around 4:30pm on Friday, they went to bathe in the Shitalakshya river with members of the household.
As three of them did not know how to swim, they were swept away by strong currents. Seeing them drowning, their relative Sourav went into the river to rescue them but was also swept away.
Shibpur Model Police Station Officer-in-charge (OC) Mohammad Kohinoor Miah confirmed that the four went missing on Friday afternoon.
Local residents initially searched the river but failed to find them. After receiving the information, the Shibpur Fire Service conducted a search operation until 5:30 pm on Friday but suspended the effort until Saturday morning after failing to locate the missing persons.
A diver team from Bhairab arrived at the scene and began searching an area spanning six to ten kilometres in and around the Shitalakshya river on Saturday morning,
By 12pm, the team had recovered three bodies. Shanta’s body surfaced in the Dighua area under Kaliganj upazila, around 10 kilometres from the spot. Local residents recovered the body and informed the Fire Service.
OC Kohinoor Miah said divers had recovered three bodies while the search for Shanto was continuing. He added that necessary legal action would be taken after the rescue operation ends, following consultations with the families of the deceased.
