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Published : 06 Jun 2026, 09:54 PM
A police case has been filed against the driver, supervisor, and assistant of a passenger bus that plunged into the Padma River while boarding a ferry at Rajbari's Daulatdia terminal.
The three were arrested on Saturday and sent to court, a day after the case was lodged, said Md Shafiqul Islam, chief of Goalanda Ghat Police.
The accident occurred around 9:30am on Friday at Daulatdia Ferry Pontoon No. 7.
That night, SI Md Abuzar Gifari of the Daulatdia Naval Police Outpost filed the case with Goalanda Ghat Police.
The suspects are bus driver Md Jhontu Ali, 48, supervisor Md Azmal Hossain, 38, and driver's assistant Shakib Hossain, 22.
According to the case statement, the Dhaka-bound SB Super Deluxe bus had left Mehedpur’s Gangni and arrived at the Daulatdia ferry terminal at 9:25am.
Naval police and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) officials instructed the driver to have all passengers disembark before the vehicle boarded the ferry, in line with government regulations.
The passengers complied and began walking towards the ferry.
However, the driver allegedly began moving the bus recklessly and negligently.
Instead of boarding the designated ferry Birshreshtha Jahangir, the bus sped across the pontoon and drove onto another ferry Korobi Oxfam.
The bus then crashed into the ferry's rear ramp, snapping chains and fastenings before plunging into the Padma River, Shafiqul said.
According to police, the supervisor and assistant jumped to safety before the bus fell into the river.
The driver swam towards the pontoon and was rescued by naval police and local residents before being taken to Goalanda Upazila Health Complex.
The accident damaged the ramp, cables, and chains of the Korobi Oxfam ferry.
Some passengers' bags and belongings were also soaked, lost, or submerged in the river.
The case estimates the total damage at around Tk 300,000.
Shafiqul said all three suspects were arrested and later produced in court.
