Two youth men, including a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) member, went missing after a section of the Meghna riverbank collapsed while they were sitting with three other friends in Bhola Sadar upazila on Wednesday night.
The incident occurred around 8:00pm near Bholarkhal Fish Ghat in the Balur Math area of Shibpur union.
The missing youths were identified as BGB member Md Amzad, 26, son of Md Ibrahim of Bhadrapara area in Bhola town, and Md Rakib, 18, son of Md Babul of ward No. 4 of Shibpur union.
According to locals Abdullah and Sagar, the five friends were sitting on sand-filled geobags along the Meghna after evening when a large chunk of the riverbank, along with the geobags, suddenly collapsed, plunging all five into the river.
Three of them managed to swim back to the bank, but Amzad and Rakib were swept away by the strong current.
Relatives of Amzad said he had been on leave at home for about two months and was scheduled to return to his workplace on September 19.
They said Amzad went to the riverbank with his friends on Wednesday afternoon when the bank suddenly collapsed.
The relatives said they informed the Fire Service and local administration, but no rescue team reached the spot by 10:00pm. Coast Guard members later arrived, stayed for some time and left, they alleged.
Md Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bhola Sadar Police Station, said police were sent to the scene after receiving the report.
The two missing youths could not be rescued till 11:00pm.