Case filed over bus drowning in Padma, three arrested

Police have arrested the driver, assistant and supervisor of the bus that plunged into the Padma River after losing control while boarding a ferry at Daulatdia Ghat No. 7 in Goalanda, Rajbari.

The three were produced in court on Saturday afternoon, June 6. A case was filed at Goalanda Ghat Police Station on Friday night by SI Abuzar Gifari of Daulatdia Naval Police Outpost.

The arrested are bus driver Jhonny Ali, 48; supervisor Azmal Hossain, 38; and assistant Shakib Hossain, 22.

The case statement said the bus, belonging to SB Super Deluxe, was travelling from Gangni, Meherpur, to Dhaka and arrived at Ghat No. 7 around 9:25 am on Friday. Naval police and BIWTC officials instructed the driver to have passengers disembark before boarding the ferry. Approximately 37-40 passengers got off.

Shortly after, the driver started the bus and began driving recklessly and negligently. Instead of boarding the designated ferry 'Birshrestha Jahangir', the driver drove the bus onto another ferry named 'Karobi Oxfam' at high speed. The bus then struck the ferry's rear ramp with force, causing the ramp's chains and latches to break, and the bus plunged into the river.

The case statement also said that damage to the ferry infrastructure and passengers' belongings amounted to approximately Tk 3 lakh.

Goalanda Ghat Police Station OC Shafiqul Islam confirmed the arrests. Inspector (Investigation) Md Rashidul Islam said efforts are ongoing to arrest the bus operator involved in the incident.