Schoolboy Drowns While Learning to Swim

An 11-year-old primary school student died after drowning in a pond while attempting to learn how to swim in Noakhali’s Senbag upazila, in a heartbreaking incident that has left his family and neighbours in deep grief.

The accident took place on Thursday afternoon at Hawlader Bari in Ward No. 3 of Domurua Union under Senbag upazila.

The deceased, Ramzan Hawlader, was the son of Md Russell Hawlader and a fourth-grade student at the local Motain Government Primary School.

According to family members, Ramzan returned home from school in the afternoon and told his mother that he wanted to go to a nearby pond to practise swimming. Like many children in rural Bangladesh, he took two empty plastic bottles with him, intending to use them as makeshift flotation aids while learning to stay afloat in the water.

His mother had initially intended to accompany him. However, she received a phone call shortly before they were due to leave and became occupied with the conversation. Believing he would be safe, Ramzan left the house on his own and headed to the pond.

Police and family members said the child entered the water to practise swimming but accidentally drowned. When his mother later went to the pond and could not find him, she became alarmed and began searching the area with the help of local residents.

After an intensive search, Ramzan was pulled from the pond. Despite being rescued, he had already died before any medical assistance could be provided.

The tragedy has cast a shadow over the local community, where relatives, neighbours and classmates gathered at the family home after news of the incident spread.

Officer-in-Charge Abdur Rahim Sarker of Senbag Model Police Station said police visited the scene after receiving information about the incident. An unnatural death case has been registered at the police station, and the matter has been documented in accordance with legal procedures.

Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death among children in Bangladesh, particularly in rural areas where ponds, canals and other open water bodies are common. Young children are especially vulnerable during the monsoon season, when water levels rise and many spend time outdoors after school.

Public health experts have repeatedly stressed the importance of close adult supervision, formal swimming lessons and greater community awareness to reduce the risk of such tragedies. They also encourage families to ensure that children learn swimming under the guidance of trained instructors or responsible adults rather than attempting to do so alone.

The death of Ramzan Hawlader serves as another painful reminder of the dangers posed by unattended water bodies and the importance of constant supervision when children are near open water. His untimely passing has left his family devastated and added to growing concerns over the recurring incidents of child drowning across the country.