Police have recovered the body of a school student, 19 hours after he went missing while fishing with his father for leisure in the Rezu canal (river) in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar.
OC Mohammad Ziaul Haq of Ukhia Police Station said the floating body was recovered from the river near Rezu Bridge in Sonarpara area of Jaliapalong Union, Ukhiya Upazila, around 10:00 AM on Sunday.
The deceased is Mohammad Shahin Sarwar Farhad (14), son of Abdul Karim from Sonarpara Bazar area of Jaliapalong Union, Ukhiya. He was an 8th-grade student at Sonarpara High School.
Citing locals, Ziaul Haq said Farhad went fishing with a fishing rod for leisure with his father Abdul Karim around 3:00 PM on Saturday. At one point, he suddenly fell from the boat. The school student was instantly swept away by the river's current.
"Upon hearing the news, locals immediately started searching but could not find Farhad. Later, a team from Ukhia Fire Service Station arrived at the spot and conducted a rescue operation. After a long search, the operation was suspended at night as he was not found," he said.
The OC said that before the rescue operation resumed on Sunday morning, locals spotted Farhad's body floating in the water of the river near Rezu Bridge. Later, with the help of locals, the fire service members participating in the rescue operation recovered the body.
Mohammad Ziaul Haq said that after completing the legal procedures, the body of the deceased school student has been handed over to his family.
