Passenger launch collides with bulkhead

N’ganj Correspondent :

A bulkhead sank in the Buriganga River near the Fatullah launch terminal in Narayanganj after being struck by a passenger launch. No casualties were reported.

Five people were on board the sand-laden bulkhead, all of whom managed to swim to the riverbank safely. However, the crew of the launch reportedly swam away and fled the scene.

The accident occurred around 10:00am on Sunday near the Fatullah launch terminal, said Jahangir Hossain, Sub-Inspector (SI) of the Pagla River Police Outpost.

According to eyewitnesses and police sources, the Bhola-bound passenger launch Bogdadia-13, which had departed from Sadarghat in the capital, collided with a sand-carrying bulkhead heading toward Sadarghat after leaving Munshiganj. The impact caused the bulkhead to sink rapidly.

Soon after the incident, a video of the sinking bulkhead spread on social media. The footage shows the front portion of the launch riding up onto the sand-laden bulkhead. As the bulkhead began to sink, workers jumped into the river to save their lives.

Eyewitness and video recorder Saddam Hossain said, “I was crossing the river at the time.

From a distance, it was clear that a collision was likely, as both vessels were moving along the same line. So I immediately started recording the video.”

Confirming the incident, SI Jahangir Hossain of the Pagla River Police Outpost said, “We have detained the launch.

As the bulkhead sank underwater, it has not yet been possible to recover it. Further legal proceedings are currently underway.”