A search operation continues along the Bhairab River after a passenger-laden trawler capsized following a collision with a ferry near Jelkhana Ghat in Khulna. The accident occurred at around 9:45 pm on Tuesday in the stretch of water between Jelkhana Ghat and Senerbazar Ghat, leaving 27-year-old Rakib Khan missing while 30 to 40 other commuters managed to reach safety.
Rakib Khan, a professional make-up artist residing in the Senerbazar area, had travelled to Khulna city on Tuesday evening. His mother, Roksena Begum, explained that he spent part of the evening with friends near Modern Mor before being dropped off at the Commerce College intersection, after which all communication ceased. Friends and family members spent the night checking emergency wards across major hospitals in Khulna without success.
Eyewitnesses reported that the trawler departed Jelkhana Ghat bound for Senerbazar Ghat when it collided head-on with a vessel heading towards Khulna city. The force of the impact caused the wooden trawler to lose balance and founder rapidly in mid-river. Nearby boatmen and local residents rushed to pull victims out of the water, while several passengers managed to swim to the riverbank on their own.
Emergency teams from the Coast Guard, River Police, and Fire Service and Civil Defence launched a rescue effort shortly after the incident was reported. Masud Sardar, Deputy Director of Khulna Fire Service and Civil Defence, noted that strong river currents severely hindered immediate attempts to locate or salvage the sunken vessel. Abul Khair, officer-in-charge at the Rupsha River Police Outpost, confirmed that joint rescue teams were active at the site throughout the night and into Wednesday morning.
The incident has reignited concerns among local residents regarding passenger safety and operational standards at Jelkhana Ghat. Commuters frequently complain about systemic overcrowding, poor crowd management, and lax enforcement of safety regulations during peak travel hours, which they argue routinely puts lives at risk along this heavily used waterway. Authorities are continuing search efforts to locate the missing youth while investigating the precise sequence of events leading up to the collision.
