Bodies of three missing students recovered one by one from Gazipur Beel

Local residents and a diving team from the Kaliakair Fire Service launch a rescue operation and recover the bodies

The bodies of three students, who went missing after a boat capsized in a water body in Gazipur’s Kaliakair Upazila, have been recovered.

The last body was found on Sunday morning beneath water hyacinths in Mokosh Beel, according to Fire Service officers.

Earlier, two bodies were found on Saturday, according to Kaliakair Fire Service Station Officer Iftekhar Hossain Raihan Chowdhury.

The dead are Mehedi Hasan, 19, Shimul Hossain, 18, from Surichala, and Rafiqul Islam, 17, from Savar’s Shimulia Union. All three had passed the SSC exam this year.

Quoting locals, the Fire Service said that five friends had gone for a ride in a small boat on Mokosh Beel, a lake-like wetland, on Friday morning. Due to strong winds and waves, the boat capsized. Two of them managed to swim ashore, while three went missing.

Local residents and a diving team from the Kaliakair Fire Service later launched a rescue operation.

The deaths of the three students have cast a pall of grief over the area, said Ariful Islam, acting chairman of Mouchak Union Parishad.

“People come to Mokosh Beel seeking peace and relaxation, but accidents like this happen due to a lack of safety measures. It’s crucial to ensure personal safety while visiting such places,” he added.

The bodies have been handed over to their families, Iftekhar said.