Bodies of 3 siblings recovered after Meghna trawler capsize, father still missing

The bodies of three siblings have been recovered from the Meghna River in Narayanganj, two days after a trawler carrying their family to a wedding capsized in Sonargaon.

Their father, Helal Uddin, remains missing as rescuers continue searching the river.

The three were identified as Helal’s daughter Samina, 17, and sons Sajib, 24, and Samin, 5. The family is from Srimuddhi village in Cumilla’s Homna municipality.

Fire Service divers and River Police personnel recovered the bodies floating near Baidyerbazar Ghat on Saturday, said Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy director of the Narayanganj Fire Service.

Samina’s body was recovered around 2:55am, while the bodies of Sajib and Samin were found around 8:10am in front of the Al Mostafa Factory in Boiddar Bazar.

The trawler capsized in the Meghna on Thursday afternoon, according to Mohammad Jahed Chowdhury, station master of the Sonargaon Fire Service and Civil Defence station.

The rescue operation began later that day.

Jahed said underwater cameras had been used in the search, while divers had also searched the area.

Police and the Fire Service said 13 people had set off by trawler from Srimuddhi village in Homna for Haria Baidyepara in Sonargaon to attend the wedding of a relative.

They were also carrying two cows and a goat for the wedding.

The trawler ran into gusty winds on the Meghna, generating strong waves that caused water to enter the vessel before it eventually sank.

A trawler from the nearby Aman Cement Factory rushed to the scene and rescued eight people alive.

Around half an hour later, the body of another passenger, Rashida Begum, was recovered from the river.

Rashida, the wife of Zakir Hossain from Brahmanbaria’s Bancharampur, was Helal’s aunt.

Abdullah said the search for Helal was continuing.

The Coast Guard, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, River Police and local residents are assisting the Fire Service in the operation.