RAB arrests owner of Coxs Bazar parasailing firm following fatal accident at Dariyanagar beach
Photo Collected
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members have arrested the primary suspect in connection with the death of a tourist who fell from a parasailing canopy at Darianagar beach in Cox’s Bazar. The suspect, 45-year-old Mohammad Farid, was apprehended late Thursday in the Madhya Pirerbagh area of Mirpur, Dhaka, where he had been in hiding.
Farid is the owner of Fly Sea Air, the company responsible for operating the parasailing service during the fatal incident last Saturday. The victim, 31-year-old Akshar Shouvik Roy, died after falling into the sea due to a technical malfunction during takeoff.
Assistant Director of RAB-15, AM Faruk, confirmed that a joint operation involving RAB-15 and RAB-4 led to the arrest at Azad Mini Market. Following his capture, Farid was handed over to the Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station for legal proceedings. The victim’s sister had filed a case against Farid and four others shortly after the incident.
Akshar Shouvik Roy, a resident of Khulna, was part of a nine-member group visiting the beach. According to investigators, the victim was the first of his group to attempt the flight after purchasing tickets for 2,000 taka each. Witnesses stated that the lack of immediate rescue equipment at the scene significantly delayed efforts to save him.
The officer-in-charge of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, Sheikh Mohammad Ali, noted that three parasailing companies—Fly Sea Air, Funfest Parasailing, and Satellite Vision Parasailing—have operated along the Marine Drive stretch for over a decade. While they initially held permits from the district administration, their operational licenses expired in June 2024 and were never renewed.
Concerns regarding the safety standards of Fly Sea Air have persisted for years. According to Mofizur Rahman, an advisor to the Tour Operator Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), at least 19 tourists have sustained injuries linked to Farid’s operation over the past decade, with six individuals suffering permanent disabilities. Previous accidents included tourists falling onto sandbars, becoming entangled in casuarina trees, or plunging into the sea due to equipment failure.
Local officials and industry experts have criticized the continued operation of these services despite numerous safety violations and a lack of administrative oversight. Despite intermittent bans imposed by the authorities, illegal parasailing activities have continued to put tourists at risk.
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