Bodies of father-son recovered 2 days after Padma boat capsize

The bodies of a man and his son, who went missing after a boat capsized in the Padma River in Rajshahi, were recovered two days after the accident, authorities said on Thursday.

According to the River Police, the body of 60-year-old boatman Kawsar Ali was recovered from the Hardinge Bridge area in Kushtia on Thursday morning. Later in the afternoon, the body of his son, Ziarul Haque, was found in the Satbaria Char area of Paba upazila in Rajshahi.

Mohammad Billal Hossain, Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Rajshahi River Police, confirmed the recoveries.

He said the strong current of the Padma River had carried the bodies far from the site of the accident, making the search operation challenging.

Police and Fire Service officials said rescue teams had been conducting a joint search operation since Tuesday, when the boat sank.

However, adverse river conditions prevented them from locating the victims earlier.

The body of Kawsar Ali was spotted floating near Banglabazar, close to Hardinge Bridge, at around 8am on Thursday. Local residents informed police, who recovered the body. Ziarul Haque's body was later recovered at around 1pm from the Satbaria Char area.

After completing the necessary legal formalities, both bodies were handed over to their family members.

The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when an engine-powered boat carrying eight passengers and a load of jhau trees set off from Char Mazardia in Rajshahi for the Lalon Shah Muktamancha. The boat reportedly lost control after being hit by strong waves in the middle of the river and capsized.

Six passengers were rescued alive with the help of local residents, while Kawsar Ali and his son remained missing until their bodies were recovered after two days of search operations.