One missing after boat hits Hardinge Bridge

A man went missing after an engine-powered boat carrying picnic-goers struck the Hardinge Bridge in Ishwardi, Pabna, on Friday night.

Two of them were rescued alive, while a 22-year-old man, Md Rocky, remains missing. The accident occurred at around 9:15pm on Friday when the boat collided with Pillar No. 5 of the Hardinge Bridge.

According to local sources, a group from Shailkupa in Jhenaidah had travelled to Rajshahi by an engine-powered boat for a picnic. After the picnic, they were returning to Shailkupa on the same boat when it struck Pillar No. 5 of the Hardinge Bridge in the Padma River at Pakshi. Three people fell into the river following the collision.

After receiving the news, members of the Laxmikunda Naval Police Outpost and the Fire Service launched a rescue operation at the scene. Later, Md Liton, 38, and Md Wahab, 45, were rescued alive.
However, Rocky remains missing.

Missing Rocky is the son of late Hasan Ali of the Kabirpur area in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah. Rescued Liton is the son of Bidyut and is also from the same area. The other rescued person, Wahab, is a resident of the Aruapara area in Kushtia Sadar upazila.

Khandaker Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of the Laxmikunda Naval Police Outpost, said three people had fallen into the river from the boat and gone missing. Naval police members conducted a rescue operation and managed to rescue two of them alive.

“One person remains missing, and the search operation is continuing to locate him,” he said.