Body of missing man recovered two days after Sadarghat launch collision

The body of 42-year-old Miraj Fakir, who went missing after falling into the river during Wednesday’s collision between two launches at Sadarghat, has been recovered.

The body was found floating around 7pm on Friday in the Buriganga River near the Keraniganj salt mill area, about half a kilometre past Babubazar Bridge, Sohag Rana, officer-in-charge of Sadarghat River Police, confirmed today.

Members of the Barishal River Police outpost recovered the body and sent it to Mitford Hospital, where Miraj’s relatives later identified it.

The incident occurred on Wednesday around 5:30pm. A trawler was boarding passengers onto the launch Asha Jawa-5 at pontoon number 14 of Sadarghat launch terminal when another launch, MV Zakir Samrat-3, collided with it. Miraj fell into the river and went missing.

His son, Sohel, died at the scene, and his daughter-in-law, Ruba Akter, was injured. She is receiving treatment at Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital.

Following the incident, Miraj’s brother, Siraj Fakir, filed a case on Friday with South Keraniganj Police Station in Dhaka. The case, accusing reckless driving and death due to negligence, names seven people and four to five unidentified individuals.

Five people from the two launches were arrested the same day and sent to court.