A male individual identifying himself as the father of a six to seven-month-old baby girl left the infant unattended on the deck of a passenger launch travelling from Bauphal in Patuakhali to Dhaka and subsequently disappeared.
According to available information, the incident occurred on Wednesday at around 7:30 pm when the man boarded the Dhaka-bound MV Bandhan-5 from Dhulia launch terminal in Bauphal. The baby was later handed over to the police at Dhaka’s Sadarghat Naval Police Station on Thursday morning by the launch authorities and subsequently placed under the care of a voluntary organisation.
Table of Contents
Journey and incident timeline
The MV Bandhan-5 departed from Kalaia launch terminal at approximately 4:00 pm on Wednesday en route to Dhaka. At around 7:30 pm, the vessel anchored at Dhulia launch terminal, where the man boarded the launch carrying the infant girl. He introduced himself to passengers as the child’s father and settled on the deck alongside other travellers after laying out bedding, placing the infant to sleep.
Shortly afterwards, he left the vessel and did not return. Passengers later noticed that the child had been left behind unattended.
A female passenger stated that the man had initially placed the baby on the upper deck and asked her to look after the child, after which he departed, claiming he would return shortly. When he did not come back, she took the child and began searching for him. By that time, the launch had already left Dhulia terminal. She then informed other passengers and the vessel’s authorities, and remained responsible for the infant until arrival in Dhaka.
Another passenger, Md. Sohail, said he also boarded the launch from Dhulia terminal and observed the man carrying the infant at the time of embarkation, although he did not know him.
Action taken by launch authorities
The supervisor of MV Bandhan-5, Md. Sajal, stated that attempts were made to identify the child’s family in the Dhulia area, but no information was found. He added that the child was safely transported to Dhaka and handed over to the naval police at Sadarghat at approximately 7:00 am on Thursday.
Police statement and custody arrangements
Inspector Md. Sohag Rana of Sadarghat Naval Police Station confirmed the incident and said that, following discussions with senior authorities, the infant was placed under the custody of a registered voluntary organisation named the Local Education and Economic Development Organisation (LEEDO), which works with vulnerable and street children.
He further stated that efforts are ongoing to identify the child’s parents or guardians. Authorities have also appealed for public assistance in locating the family so that the child can be reunited with relatives if identified.
Summary of key events
| Time & Location | Event |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, 4:00 pm | MV Bandhan-5 departs Kalaia terminal for Dhaka |
| Wednesday, 7:30 pm | Man boards vessel at Dhulia with infant girl |
| Shortly after boarding | Infant left on deck; man disappears |
| Thursday morning | Launch reaches Dhaka |
| Thursday, ~7:00 am | Child handed over to Sadarghat Naval Police |
| Subsequently | Infant placed under care of voluntary organisation LEEDO |
The identity of the child and her family remains under investigation.