It is utterly heart-breaking that over 14,000 children drown by falling into water each year in Bangladesh alone.
We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic deaths of children by drowning across the country. Though it often goes unrecognised, drowning is the second leading cause of death among children under five in Bangladesh, marking it as a major issue.
Recently, a gragic incident occurred in Thakurgaon’s Baliadangi upazila, where two young cousins drowned in a pond while trying to save each other. While playing, Siam slipped into the water. His cousin Sohan, seeing him in distress, immediately jumped in to help—but tragically, neither survived.
In another heartbreaking event, two young children drowned while playing near a pond in Barguna Sadar upazila. Locals reported that Junayed fell into the pond while playing, and Yeasin jumped in after him in an attempt to save him. Both children lost their lives.
On World Drowning Prevention Day—a day for reflection and urgent action—the World Health Organisation (WHO) reminded us that every life lost to drowning is one too many. Bangladesh joined the global community in observing the day. In 2021 alone, over 300,000 people died by drowning worldwide—almost 30 every hour—with Southeast Asia accounting for 28% of these deaths.
Behind each statistic is a child, a grieving family, and a future that could have been. Water, while vital for life, agriculture, and transport, is also one of the leading causes of injury-related deaths, especially for children.
The Bangladesh Post has reported extensively on this issue, noting that despite thousands of drowning deaths each year, it still fails to register as a significant health concern in the public consciousness or among policy-makers. Newspaper reports of drowning deaths have become distressingly common.
A child can easily slip out of sight
and fall into a pond or ditch—and
small children often lack the
swimming skills needed to save
themselves
Families who have lost children to drowning are left imagining a different outcome—one in which better supervision or heightened awareness might have saved their loved ones. According to data from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), drowning is the single largest cause of death among children aged one to five in Bangladesh, surpassing even malnutrition.
In rural areas, nearly every household has a pond—some shallow, others more than five feet deep. These pose a significant danger to kids, who often wander freely in and out of their homes. It is simply not feasible for parents to supervise them constantly.
A child can easily slip out of sight and fall into a pond or ditch—and small children often lack the swimming skills needed to save themselves. Tragically, even buckets of water can pose fatal risks. We are gravely concerned about these avoidable child deaths. The risk increases further during the monsoon season, when large areas of land, particularly near rivers, canals, and ponds, become submerged due to heavy rainfall and flooding from upstream.
According to a study, 80% of child drownings occur within 20 metres of the home, and 70% happen due to inadequate supervision. We know these deaths are preventable. In a country like Bangladesh, where water is both a source of life and a deadly hazard, a lack of awareness and swimming skills can be fatal.
Children growing up near open water face daily risks. Therefore, integrated efforts from the government, NGOs, and communities are essential to protect our children. Everyone—individuals, communities, and government bodies—must work together to raise awareness and ensure every child’s right to survive and thrive.
Effective measures can prevent such tragedies. We must all do our part to ensure that no more lives—especially young lives—are lost to water-related accidents. According to national data, drowning is the number one cause of death among children aged 1–4 years.
A large number of children, especially from rural and low-income communities, are dying from entirely preventable incidents. Let us turn awareness into action and build a safer, future. We urge individuals, communities, and government bodies to come together to ensure every child not only survives but thrives.
