Tragedy on Meghna River Claims Three Siblings With Father Still Missing Following Launch Capsize in Narayanganj
Tragedy strikes a Comilla family as a Meghna river capsize claims three children and leaves the father missing following a wedding journey
Day brings, day eats; Cash is nothing. If a bad person had left! Who will feed our mothers and daughters? Oh God, don't you have a little Dayamaya oil! There is no way for us to eat rice except by begging.
powered autorickshaw of Srimaddi village of Comilla's Homna Upazila was saying the words. Shirina Akhter, wife of Helal Uddin Shikder (50). Shirina Akhtar lost three sons and daughters in trawler sinking in Meghna river. Husband Helal Uddin has not been found yet.
On Thursday afternoon, a trawler sank in Sonamoyi area of Baidyerbazar in Sonargaon, Narayanganj due to stormy weather. In this incident, the body of a woman named Rayesa Begum (40) was recovered that day. Helal Uddin and his three sons and daughters were missing. About Raisa Begum, Shirina Akhtar is cousin.
Two days after the incident, the bodies of Sajib Hossain Shikdar (24), Samia Akhter (17) and Samin Hossain (5) were recovered from the Meghna River in Baidyerbazar area at around 8 am on Saturday. However, Helal Uddin has not been found yet. Shirina Akhter was saying the same thing while lamenting, 'Hilare (husband Helal Uddin) did not get such care. I remember, the Gailla-Pichcha has ended in Hila.'
The funeral of Sajib, Samia and Samin was held at the Eidgah ground of Shrimaddi village yesterday on Saturday around 12 noon. After the janaza, Sajeev and Samin were buried side by side in the social graveyard at Srimaddi Charergaon village. Samia was buried at her in-laws' home in Kalikapur village of Bancharampur upazila in Brahmanbaria.
At 10 am on Sunday morning, Shirina Akhter was seen sitting in the house and lamenting at Shikdar's house in Srimaddi village. His eating and drinking has been stopped since Thursday. He was also taken to the doctor as he fell ill. Despite their efforts, the relatives are unable to feed him properly.
Helal Uddin and Shirina Akhtar are cousins. Husband and wife again. While lamenting, Shirina Akhter said that Shirina Akhter's cousin Shapul Begum's husband's house is in Hariya Baidepara village of Sonargaon. His uncle died a few years ago. Cousin Shah Paran's daughter Sajia Akhtar got married last Friday. Helal Uddin and Sajib Hossain are also quite skilled as butchers. Apart from this, cattle and goats can be bought at cheap prices in the Gharmora market of Homan. He bought two cows and a goat from Homna and along with 12 relatives left Srimaddi village in a trawler for Baidyerpara on Thursday afternoon.
The driver of the trawler was Ahmed Nabi of Srimaddi village. Narrating the incident, Shirina Akhtar said that before the trawler reached the middle of the river in the golden area of Meghna river, the sky was covered with clouds. At that time, Helal Uddin requested the driver to stop the trawler towards the shore and stop the engine. The men on the sandbar bulkhead in the middle of the river also signaled the trawler not to move into the middle of the river.
According to Shirina Akhter, the trawler driver did not listen to anyone. At one point, the trawler was in danger of sinking due to strong winds and large waves. Passengers are then requested to lift the sand carrier to the nearby bulkhead. But the driver ignored everyone and showed courage and tried to cross the Meghna river. At this time, the trawler sank in a sudden gust of wind.
At that time, Shirina Akhtar managed to swim to the shore with her little daughter Lamiya Akhtar (7) in her lap. While the others managed to get ashore with them, her husband, two sons, a daughter and a cousin drowned. Shirina Akhtar complained that even though there were people around, she did not help them to climb the hill.
Helal Uddin Shikder's younger brother Dulal Mia Shikder is a driver by profession. After receiving the news, immediately go to the bank of Meghna river from Dhaka. He said, after searching the river for three days and three nights, the bodies of two nephews and one niece were recovered from the river by the efforts of the fire service and naval police. The missing elder brother was not found until four in the afternoon on Sunday.
Missing Helal Uddin Shikder's mother Tahera Khatun is in her seventies. While sitting in a room of the house, he was lamenting, 'Putre re putt, tui ken make raikhkha chailla geli.'
Recalling the day of the incident, Tahera Begum said, mother's mind knows before the telephone. He took his son, son's wife, four grandchildren and relatives in the trawler and returned home. No one gave him the news about the sinking of the trawler on Thursday afternoon. But why was his mind crying.
Samia Akhtar's husband, Tara Mia, left for Saudi Arabia after a month of marriage. He was supposed to return home in October. He was devastated after hearing the news of his wife's death. While talking to family members on video calls, he could not even speak properly due to tears.
Homna upazila executive officer went to Helal Uddin's house on Sunday afternoon. Shahidul Islam. At this time, he handed over 80,000 taka to Helal Uddin's wife Shirina Akhtar. He gave Tk 20,000 to the family of deceased Rayesa Begum. He also said that he will try to cooperate more in terms of future applications.
