Two Perish in Meghna River Trawler Capsize Following Sudden Storm

A devastating maritime accident triggered by severe weather has claimed the lives of two individuals in southern Bangladesh, after a passenger and cargo trawler capsized in the Meghna River near the Charkilla area of Hijla Upazila in Barishal district.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 am when the vessel, laden with a fresh harvest of soybean crops alongside passengers, was navigating the riverway from Govindapur towards Shaowra. According to officials from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), the craft encountered an abrupt and violent Kalbaishakhi—a seasonal early-summer nor’wester storm notorious for generating powerful wind gusts and dangerous river swells with little warning. Caught off guard by the sudden turbulence, the vessel lost stability and submerged.

Following the capsize, the skipper and eleven passengers managed to swim through the rough waters to reach the safety of the nearby riverbanks. However, two passengers were swept away by the swift currents and reported missing.

Local authorities were alerted immediately to the emergency. A search and rescue operation was swiftly mounted by officers from Hijla Police Station in close collaboration with local fishermen familiar with the river’s treacherous waters. At approximately 11:00 am, rescue workers located and recovered the body of 55-year-old Abdur Rob Bepari. Shortly thereafter, at around 11:30 am, emergency responders retrieved the body of 15-year-old Rajib Bhuiyan, a local ninth-grade student.

“Upon being notified of the tragedy, police personnel rushed to the scene and conducted a thorough search operation alongside local fishermen,” confirmed Asim Kumar Sikdar, Officer-in-Charge of Hijla Police Station. “Both bodies were retrieved from the river and brought ashore.”

Ajmal Huda Mithu, Joint Director at the BIWTA, noted that the trawler was traversing a routinely used river route when the unexpected tempest struck.

Riverine transit remains the primary mode of transportation and commerce across the southern deltaic region of Bangladesh, where vast stretches of the Meghna River connect rural farming communities with regional distribution hubs. During the pre-monsoon season, however, small and medium-sized wooden trawlers carrying both heavy agricultural yields and commuters face heightened risks from volatile atmospheric conditions, highlighting the ongoing hazards associated with river travel in coastal districts.