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Published : 29 Jun 2026, 11:19 AM
Six years on, the trial in a case over the deaths of 34 people in a launch capsize on the Buriganga River has yet to conclude. Those involved in the case are unable to say exactly when it will be completed. The families of the victims are still waiting for justice.
The disaster, which took place on Jun 29, 2020, near Dhaka’s Shyamabazar, shook Bangladesh.
The launch, named ML Morning Bird, was coming from Munshiganj’s Kathpatti towards the Sadarghat carrying passengers when it was hit by the Mayur-2 launch around 9:15am and sank.
Mohammad Shamsul, sub-inspector (SI) of the South Keraniganj River Police Sadarghat Police Station, filed a case against the owner and master of the Mayur-2 launch and seven others on the same day, accusing them of causing “deaths due to negligence”. On Feb 23 of the following year, Sadarghat River Police Station SI Shahidul Alam filed a charge sheet against 11 people, including the owner of the Mayur-2 launch, Mosaddek Hamid Soad.
The other accused in the case are Mayur-2 launch master Abul Bashar Molla, assistant master Zakir Hossain, driver Shipon Howlader, Shakil Hossain, launch employee Nasir Hossain Mridha, Gizar Hridoy Hawlader, and supervisors Abdus Salam, Selim Hossain Hira, Abu Sayeed and Delwar Hossain Sarkar.
All the suspects are out on bail from the High Court.
On Jan 18, 2022, the court indicted the suspects and ordered the case to trial.
The trial is ongoing before the Additional District and Sessions Judge Rezwanuzzaman of the Dhaka court.
The recording of testimony, the defence of the accused, and the exculpatory testimony are complete. The case will move to the verdict stage once both the prosecution and the defence have completed their arguments.
A hearing for the arguments in the case was set for May 15. However, the arguments were not heard that day. A new hearing has been set for Jul 6.
Additional Public Prosecutor Khan Md Zahirul Islam, representing the state in the case, said: "The case is now in the final stage of arguments. The defendants are wasting time to delay the trial.
"That is why the trial is not over. The state will try to conclude its arguments and deliver a quick verdict. May the families of the victims get justice."
Five people from Rikabibazar village in Munshiganj were killed in the incident. One of them was Shiplu.
When contacted, Shiplu’s father said: “My boy completed his studies. After that, he went into business with me in Dhaka. We did not file a case. The police did. Those who caused such a disaster should be punished.”
Awlad Hossain, a resident of the same village, lost two siblings in the accident.
He said, "My younger brother, Didar Hossain, used to work with me. He would regularly come and go from our home village. One of my sisters lives in Dhaka.
"He and our younger sister Hafeza Khatun Ruma were headed to her house. Both of them died in the accident. I want those people whose negligence caused this accident to be published."
Shah Jalal, a defence lawyer, said: "There are no eyewitnesses in this case, but those who have testified still said, 'I saw it, I was there'.
"No specific charges have been proven against any of the accused. No witness has been able to bring specific charges against the accused. I hope the accused will be acquitted."
CCTV camera video from Sadarghat captured the scene of how the small launch sank in the Buriganga after it was rammed by the much larger Mayur-2.
After watching the video, then shipping minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said: “The way the incident happened, I think it was planned. It was not an accident; it was a murder.”
Launch owner Soad’s lawyer, Sultan Naser, said that the testimony of the main witnesses in this case had concluded.
They had told their story, and the accused will testify in their own defence, he said.
“They will shore up their position. However, none of the main witnesses could tell which launch hit the other. They only saw the launch sink. I hope the accused will be acquitted in this case.”
Regarding Shipon, a driver of the Mayur-2 launch, Naser said: “He was removed from his job on Jun 21, eight days before the incident, for personal reasons. Despite this, he has also been named as a suspect in the case.
“The Department of Shipping investigated the accident. But Shipon’s name is not in that report. If there had been a proper investigation, several people would not have been listed as suspects.”
