Two Teenagers Drown, One Man Missing in Chapainawabganj

Two schoolboys drowned while bathing in the Padma River and another man remained missing after disappearing in the Mahananda River in separate incidents in Chapainawabganj on Tuesday, prompting rescue operations by the Fire Service and an investigation by the river police.

The victims of the Padma River tragedy were identified as Rifat Ali, 16, and Russell, 17, both Class 10 students of Sundarpur Subag High School. Their deaths have cast a shadow of grief over their families, classmates and the local community.

According to local residents, the two teenagers, along with four or five friends, travelled by bicycle to the Alimnagar Ghat on the Padma River in Sadar upazila to bathe during the afternoon.

At some point while swimming, Rifat and Russell disappeared beneath the water. Their companions and nearby residents immediately raised the alarm, prompting a rescue operation involving local people before emergency services were notified.

Fire Service personnel later requested assistance from a specialised diving team from neighbouring Rajshahi after initial efforts failed to locate the missing boys.

Station Officer Sayeed Hasan Shuvo of Chapainawabganj Fire Service said the two teenagers had drowned at around 2:00 pm. The divers recovered Russell’s body at approximately 5:45 pm, while Rifat’s body was found around 6:30 pm following an extensive search of the river.

Police later recovered the bodies and began completing the necessary legal formalities.

Sub-Inspector Jibon Chandra, who is in charge of the Godagari Naval Police Station in Rajshahi, confirmed that the bodies had been recovered and said further legal procedures were under way.

The tragedy has left residents of Sundarpur Union in mourning, with many expressing shock over the loss of two classmates in the same incident.

In a separate incident on the same day, rescue teams continued searching for 33-year-old Sakirul Haque, who went missing in the Mahananda River while fishing near the Rubber Dam area at Rehaichar in Chapainawabganj town.

Sakirul, the son of Rahul Amin from the Arambagh neighbourhood, had recently returned to Bangladesh after working in Dubai. According to family members and local residents, he came home about a month ago and had gone fishing with two friends as a leisure activity when he disappeared in the river.

Rescue personnel launched an operation soon after receiving reports of the incident, but as of 8:30 pm on Tuesday they had been unable to locate him.

Officials said the search would continue until he was found.

Officer-in-Charge Ekramul Hossain of Chapainawabganj Sadar Police Station confirmed both incidents, saying two teenagers had died after drowning in the Padma River, while a young man remained missing in the Mahananda River.

He added that the Naval Police had begun investigating the circumstances surrounding both incidents.

River drowning remains a recurring cause of accidental deaths in Bangladesh, particularly during the monsoon season when rivers become deeper, faster-flowing and more hazardous. Popular bathing spots and fishing areas often attract children, teenagers and adults despite strong currents and the absence of designated safety measures.

Emergency responders frequently advise the public to avoid swimming in unfamiliar or deep sections of rivers and urge families to exercise caution, especially during periods of high water levels.

Tuesday’s twin tragedies have once again highlighted the dangers posed by the country’s rivers, leaving two families grieving the loss of their sons while another anxiously awaits news of a missing loved one as search efforts continue.