5-year-old missing after riverbank collapse

A five-year-old boy went missing after an erosion-hit riverbank collapsed beneath him while his father was bathing cows in the Kalabadar River in Mehendiganj upazila of Barishal on Saturday.

The incident occurred in the Bagarja area of Ward No. 9 under Bhasanchar Union. The child’s father, Azizul Gazi, survived the incident, while his son, Mohammad Abdullah, remains missing.

Fire Service divers continued rescue efforts for nearly seven hours until Saturday evening (18 July) but were unable to locate the child.

According to eyewitnesses and local sources, Azizul Gazi had taken his two cows to the bank of the Kalabadar River for bathing. His five-year-old son, Abdullah, was standing nearby.

Suddenly, severe riverbank erosion caused the ground beneath Abdullah’s feet to collapse, and he fell into the river.

Seeing his son being swept away, Azizul Gazi jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue him.

During the rescue attempt, another section of the riverbank collapsed, trapping him briefly under the soil.

With the help of local residents, Azizul managed to escape, but Abdullah was swept away by the strong current.

Enamul Hossain, in-charge of the Kaliganj Naval Police Outpost in Mehendiganj, said the child was swept away after the riverbank collapsed due to erosion. He added that the Fire Service diving team is making every effort to recover the child.

Family members said they searched for the child immediately after the incident but found no trace of him. The Fire Service was then informed.

After receiving the information, a Fire Service diving team arrived at the scene and launched a rescue operation.

The area was filled with the heartbreaking cries of the parents, who lost their only child. The tragic incident has cast a shadow of grief over the entire community.

The Naval Police and the local administration are supervising the rescue operation.