A joint rescue team of divers comprised of Fire Services, BGB, River Police and BIWTA recovered dead body of a newly married bride from the river Padma on Monday morning, three-day after she was drowned in the river as two boats carrying them capsized in the middle of the river. The rescue team also recovered eight more dead bodies of the passengers of the boats aftermath of the drowning of the boats.
According to sources, Asaduzzaman Rumon (24) of village Char Khanpur under Paba upazila was married to Sweety Khatun Purni (20) of village Dangerhat of the same upazila recently. On Friday, the feast of marriage ceremony was arranged at the house of Rumon. After attending the function, 36 people including Sweety, her bridegroom Rumon and their relatives boarded on two boats to reach at Dangerhat village on Friday night.
Both the boats capsized in the river at the middle point between Charkhidirpur and Sreerampore areas due to storm. Though some of the passengers of the boats managed to swim ashore and others were rescued by another boat, nine passengers including Sweety drowned and remained missing. Dead bodies of the drowned people were recovered from various places of the river during next two days but dead body of Sweety remained missing till Monday morning when a joint rescue team of Fire Service, BGB, BIWTA and River Police recovered her dead body from two-kilometre down stream of the spot of occurrence.
Other recovered deads were identified as Ratan Ali (30), husband of elder sister of Purni, his daughter Marium Khatun(5), his uncle Shamim Hossain (35), auntie Mina Khatun(30), cousin Rashni (7), cousin Rubiya Khatun(12), cousin Ekhlas Ali (22) and auntie Akhi Khatun (25).
Rumon in a emotion choked voice said, during the drowning of the boats, he tried to rescue some passengers with ropes. By the meantime, some one from behind said, " Hold Sweety, she is drowning," when "I looked back but failed to see her in the darkness". He further said, he had the last conversation with Sweety just before boarding on the boat.
Ratan Ali, brother in law of Sweety asked him (Rumon) to take Sweety on his lap to board her on the boat but she said, she would rather ride on the boat with the help of Ratan. " That was the last conversation with Sweety and now her dead body has been recovered still wearing the bright red Benarashi saree, ornaments and hands exquisitely designed and coloured with Henna. Rajshahi district administration has donated Taka 20,000 to the family members of each victim.
