Rescue operation enters third day
Published: 27 March 2026, 3:32:32
The Fire Service has launched its third day of rescue operations following the sinking of a bus at the Daulatdia No. 3 Ferry Ghat in Rajbari.
The search operation began at 8:30AM on Friday, according to Sohel Rana, deputy assistant director of the Rajbari Fire Service.
Efforts had been temporarily suspended at 6PM on Thursday.
Fire Service diving squad, Coast Guard, and Navy personnel are involved in the operation. The River Police are making public announcements from speed boats, calling on people to report any dead bodies in the water.
However, the families who had lined up over the past two days to wait for news of their missing loved ones were not there on Friday.
Md Hafizur Rahman, deputy collector of the Rajbari Deputy Commissioner’s Office, said a total of 26 bodies have been recovered so far. Of them, 25 have been handed over to families, while one body has been kept at Rajbari Sadar Hospital and will be handed over once relatives arrive from Dinajpur.
A worker is still missing.
Two separate investigation committees have been formed by the Ministry of Shipping and the district administration to investigate the cause of the incident.
The accident occurred around 5:30PM on Wednesday when the passenger bus of Souhardho Paribahan fell from Pontoon no. 3 into the river. Around 50 passengers were on board at the time.
