4 killed, 6 injured as speedboat collide with trawler on Meghna River in Munshiganj
The accident occurred around 9:30pm near Guagachia union, likely due to poor visibility caused by dense fog and darkness, according to Md Mahbub Alam, sub-inspector of Gajaria’s River Police Outpost
At least four people were killed and six were injured in a collision between a speedboat and a trawler on the Meghna River in Munshiganj's Gajaria upazila, yesterday night (10 January).
The accident occurred around 9:30pm near Guagachia union, likely due to poor visibility caused by dense fog and darkness, according to Gazaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Anwar Alam Azad
He said, "The accident occurred due to heavy fog, resulting in a collision between a trawler and a speeding boat. Four people have been killed, and further details will be provided later."
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The deceased have been identified as Odud Bepari, 36, son of Mohammad Ali Bepari from Jamalpur village of Guagachhia union in Gazaria upazila; Babul Sarkar, 48, son of Bacchu Sarkar from Ramzan Beg village in Charjhapta, Munshiganj Sadar upazila; Sakib, 26, from Matlab North upazila, Chandpur; and Naeem, 25, son of Mohan Bhandar from Nayakandi Baroichar village of the same area.
Locals and fishermen rushed to the scene after hearing the sound of the collision. The river police arrived shortly after, rescuing three victims and sending them to Gajaria Upazila Health Complex for treatment.
Md Obaidul Karim Khan, commander of the Narayanganj unit of Prottoy and deputy director of BIWTA said, "Initially, we heard about a collision with a bulkhead, but upon arrival, we confirmed it was a collision between a speedboat and a motorized trawler. The trawler sank, and the speedboat was damaged. We believe the deceased were passengers on the trawler. One individual was reported missing, and we recovered his body on Saturday afternoon near the accident site."
Dr Sayma Akter, a doctor at the emergency department of the health complex, said, "Three people were brought here around 9:45pm. Two of them were already dead. The third, Abdul Halim, 34, was critically injured and sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment."
The deceased and injured were reportedly active members of the notorious river pirate gang "Nayan Bahini."
However, Ferdousi, the wife of deceased Odud Bepari, claimed that the victims were not involved in illegal sand mining. Instead, they were returning from a social event in Matlab North upazila when the accident occurred.
