Bodies of 4 missing in Sunamganj boat capsize recovered

The bodies of all four people who went missing after a boat capsized in Sunamganj’s Jagannathpur upazila while they were returning home from a kirtan have been recovered.

Two bodies were recovered today (2 August), while the other two were found yesterday (1 August).

Residents recovered the two floating bodies from Ruarpara in Maiyar Haor this morning.

The deceased were Hemendra Deb Nath, son of the late Jagindra Deb Nath, and Adhir Debnath, son of the late Anil Deb Nath. Both were residents of Purba Bhabanipur under Jagannathpur municipality.

Yesterday, divers recovered the bodies of Satyendra Nath Sati, son of the late Subal Deb Nath, and Arun Debnath, son of the late Anil Deb Nath, from the same area.

Police and residents said 10 people from Purba Bhabanipur travelled by boat to the neighbouring Bharaut area around 8pm on Friday to attend a kirtan.

While they were returning home around 3:30am after the programme, the boat capsized at Baluchar in Maiyar Haor. Six passengers managed to swim ashore, but four others went missing.

Two diving teams from the Sunamganj and Sylhet fire services conducted a joint rescue operation throughout yesterday. Arun’s body was recovered around 11am, while Satyendra’s was found in the afternoon.

The deaths of four people from the same village have cast a pall of gloom over Purba Bhabanipur.

Nishi Debnath, who survived the capsize, said, “Such an incident has never happened in our area before. The boat capsized due to strong winds. Four families have been plunged into uncertainty after losing their breadwinners.”

Jagannathpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shafiqul Islam said two bodies had been recovered on Saturday and two more from the haor yesterday morning. The bodies were handed over to their families without autopsies, he added.