The body of Rakibuzzaman Rocky, 35, member secretary of the municipal Chhatra Dal in Shailkupa of Jhenidah, was recovered nearly 37 hours after he went missing in the Padma River following a boat accident in Bheramara, Kushtia.
Rocky went missing on Friday (September 11) night when a bulkhead carrying around 130 passengers collided with a pillar of the Hardinge Bridge in Bheramara. His body was recovered from the river in front of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at around 10am on Sunday.
According to passengers, they had travelled from the Katlagari Ghat area of Shailkupa in Jhenidah with around 130 people for a boat trip to the Solaiman Shah shrine in Bheramara Upazila. Several other people, including the boat crew, were also on board.
After visiting the shrine, the group reached the Hardinge Bridge area at around 9:15pm on Friday. At the time, strong river currents pushed the rear section of the bulkhead into the bridge’s fourth pillar.
Rocky, Liton and Ohab fell into the river following the collision. Liton and Ohab were subsequently rescued, but Rocky remained missing.
A five-member diving team from Khulna Fire Service joined the search operation. Saidul Islam, head of the diving team, said the current was extremely strong at the location where Rocky went missing, making rescue operations difficult.
He said the strong current in the Padma had initially prevented the divers from entering the river safely.
Lakshmikunda Naval Police Outpost in-charge Khandakar Shahidul Islam and Bheramara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Zahedur Rahman jointly confirmed that Rocky’s body was found floating in front of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and recovered at around 10am Sunday.
Bheramara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Amirul Arafat also confirmed the recovery of Rocky’s body.
