Sunken bus recovered from Padma River

A passenger bus fell into the Padma River from the pontoon at Daulatdia Ferry Terminal in Goalanda upazila of Rajbari on Friday morning.

According to Goalanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sathi Das, the Dhaka-bound bus of “SB Paribahan” from Kushtia plunged into the river from Terminal-7 around 9:25am. Officials confirmed that there were no passengers on board at the time of the incident.

“All passengers had already got off before the bus approached the pontoon. There is no report of any casualty,” the UNO said, adding that no missing complaints were received.

She also said that the bus driver and his associates were rescued by locals and later taken to hospital for treatment.

Following the incident, a rescue vessel named Hamza was deployed to recover the sunken bus from the river.

Authorities noted that the area has witnessed similar accidents in the past. On March 25, 2026, another bus carrying around 40 passengers had fallen into the same river from the pontoon, resulting in at least 26 deaths.

Officials from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) said passengers were instructed to disembark before the bus attempted to board the ferry and police assisted in ensuring safety. They added that no passengers were on board at the time of the incident.

Earlier, on 25 March, another passenger bus from Kushtia had fallen into the Padma River while attempting to board a ferry at the same terminal, killing 26 people.

Deputy Commissioner Afroza Parveen said a probe committee will investigate the incident. “Everyone needs to be more cautious. Today, awareness helped save many lives. Action will be taken after the investigation report is received.”