A young man who went missing after falling into the Padma River during a boat trip in Ishwardi, Pabna, has been found dead nearly 20 hours later. His body was recovered on Saturday (30 May) at approximately 12:30 pm from an area beneath the Hardinge Bridge in Pakshi by divers and police personnel.
The deceased was identified as Rifat Hasan Raktim, a resident of Dilalpur in Ward No. 3 of Pabna Municipality and the son of Zakir Hossain.
According to police and local sources, Rifat was among a group of friends who had gone on a recreational outing during the Eid holiday. The group hired a boat from beneath the Hardinge Bridge and set out on the Padma River. During the journey, sudden stormy weather accompanied by heavy rain developed, causing all six passengers on board to fall into the river.
Local residents immediately began rescue efforts and succeeded in bringing five of the six passengers to safety. However, Rifat remained missing. Authorities were informed of the incident, and a diving team was dispatched from Rajshahi later that evening to conduct a search operation.
Divers began searching the river on Friday night, but despite extensive efforts, they were unable to locate Rifat before the search was suspended for the night. Rescue personnel resumed operations on Saturday morning, continuing a coordinated search involving the Fire Service, police and divers.
After several hours of renewed searching, Rifat’s body was located and recovered at around 12:30 pm from beneath the Hardinge Bridge. Following the recovery, the body was taken to the police station for the completion of the necessary legal procedures.
Incident Summary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of deceased | Rifat Hasan Raktim |
| Father’s name | Zakir Hossain |
| Residence | Dilalpur, Ward No. 3, Pabna Municipality |
| Date and time missing | Friday, approximately 4:30 pm |
| Location of incident | Padma River, Pakshi, Ishwardi |
| Number of passengers involved | 6 |
| Passengers rescued alive | 5 |
| Search operation began | Friday evening |
| Diving team origin | Rajshahi |
| Body recovered | Saturday, approximately 12:30 pm |
| Recovery location | Beneath Hardinge Bridge, Pakshi |
| Agencies involved | Fire Service, Police and Diving Team |
Confirming the incident, Ishwardi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ashadur Rahman said, “The body of the missing young man has been recovered through a joint operation by the Fire Service, police and diving team. The body has been taken to the police station, and the process of handing it over to the family is under way.”
The recovery brought an end to a search operation that lasted nearly 20 hours from the time Rifat went missing. Authorities stated that the required legal formalities were being completed before the body would be handed over to his family.