Emergency personnel in Gazipur’s Tongi have entered the second day of an intensive search and rescue operation following the tragic disappearance of two young boys swept away by powerful currents in the Turag River.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday afternoon beneath the railway bridge in the Jamaibazar district, where ten-year-old Abi Yunus and nine-year-old Nirob had gone to fish along the shoreline. Abi Yunus is the son of Shahjahan, while Nirob is the son of Shah Alam. Both families reside as tenants at the home of Ali Commissioner in the nearby Boubazar area of Tongi. What was intended as a routine afternoon by the water turned into a nightmare when strong undercurrents pulled both children into deep water, submerging them almost instantly.
Alerted by eyewitnesses, residents contacted emergency services without delay. Officers from the Tongi Fire Service and Civil Defence arrived promptly at the scene to initiate shoreline searches, quickly joined by a specialist unit of divers. Rescue teams methodically combed the waters surrounding the bridge until half-past seven on Wednesday evening. Rising darkness and adverse river conditions, however, compelled commanders to suspend diving efforts overnight. Distraught family members maintained a grief-stricken vigil along the banks throughout the night.
Operations resumed at dawn on Thursday morning, with emergency teams deploying divers across several strategic points along the riverbed. Fire Service officials noted that navigating strong river currents presents significant tactical hurdles, as swift waters frequently shift missing individuals far downstream from their point of entry. By midday on Thursday, search teams had yet to locate either child.
Senior Station Officer Md. Shahin Alam of the Tongi Fire Service and Civil Defence station confirmed that operations remain active, emphasizing that personnel are systematically probing every high-probability zone despite persistent challenges.
News of the missing children has sent shockwaves through the local Boubazar neighborhood. Crowds of solemn residents, anxious relatives, and onlookers continue to congregate near the Jamaibazar railway bridge, watching silently as rescue boats navigate the turbulent channel.
Drowning incidents and sudden submersions remain a persistent concern along industrialized stretches of the Turag River. Riverbanks situated near major structural infrastructure, such as railway pylons and bridge supports, are prone to sudden drop-offs and complex vortexes that can quickly overpower even confident swimmers. Local municipal authorities consistently advise parents to monitor children closely and discourage swimming or informal fishing near unfortified riverbanks, particularly during periods when heavy rainfall inflates river volume and accelerates water movement.
