Two cousins drowned in the Kageshwari river in Punduria village of Pabna's Sathiya upazila on Saturday morning.
The deceased were identified as Enamul Haque, 5, son of Azadul Islam of Atiapara village and Ayesha Khatun, daughter of Hafizul Islam of Punduria village of the upazila.
Karamja Union Parishad Chairman and freedom fighter Hossain Ali Bagchi confirmed the incident.
According to the family members, Enamul had come to visit after the death of his grandmother last Thursday and did not return home. On Saturday, during the pilgrimage ceremony, family members were preoccupied with preparations. Around 11am, Enamul and Ayesha were playing with a football near the house when the ball landed in the nearby Kageshwari River. Presumably the two children drowned while attempting to retrieve it.
Family members later found them in the river while fetching water. Later, they were taken to the upazila health complex where doctors declared them dead.
Dr. Fatema Tuz Jannat, a Family Planning Officer at Bara Upazila Health Complex, reported that the children were brought to the hospital after having passed away.
Chairman Hossain Ali Bagchi expressed his condolences to the grieving family, noting, “It’s a tragic incident, and I urge all families to remain vigilant about their children’s safety.”