The bodies of eight Bangladeshi nationals who died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe and subsequently drowned near the coast of Tunisia will arrive in the country this afternoon. According to a Facebook post by the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the coffins, transported via Saudia Airlines, are scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 12:15 pm on May 2. On Tuesday, in the presence of Bangladesh's Ambassador to Libya and non-resident envoy to Tunisia, Major General (Retd.) Abul Hasnat Mohammad Khairul Bashar, embassy officials transferred the bodies to the authorities at Tunis International Airport. Hasan Mahmud to attend OIC Summit in Gambia Following the tragic incident on the night of February 14, officials at the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli worked closely with Tunisia's Foreign Ministry and local authorities to manage the forensic identification, confirmation of identities through domestic agencies, issuance of death and medical certificates, and coordination of the repatriation process. The Foreign Ministry's Africa Wing coordinated inter-ministerial efforts to facilitate the repatriation of the bodies, with assistance from the ministries of home, law, and funds from the Expatriates Welfare Ministry. Among the deceased are Sajal, Noyon Biswas, Mamun Sheikh, Kazi Sajib, and Kaiser Khalifa from Madaripur district, and Rifat, Russel, and Imrul Kayes from Gopalganj district. A boat, carrying 52 passengers and a sailor from the coast of Zuwarah on its way to Europe, sank off the Tunisian coast. Out of the 44 survivors, 27 are Bangladeshis, with others from Pakistan (8), Syria (5), and Egypt (4). Among the nine fatalities, eight were identified as Bangladeshis and one as a Pakistani national. Read more: Bangladesh, Austria agree to conclude MoU on migration, mobility

In a somber announcement on Tuesday (February 20, 2024), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) revealed the identities of eight Bangladeshis who met a tragic fate while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. The individuals, embarking on an unauthorized voyage from Libya to Europe, drowned in a devastating incident that underscores the perilous journey faced by many seeking a better life abroad. The victims, identified as Sajal, Nayan Biswas, Mamun Seikh, Kazi Sajeeb, Kaisar, Rifat, Russell, and Imrul Kayes Apon, hailed from the Madaripur and Gopalganj districts of Bangladesh. Specifically, the first five victims originated from various villages within the Rajoir upazila of Madaripur, while the remaining were from Muksudpur upazila in Gopalganj. Read more: Out of options, Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll The details were shared in a press release distributed by MoFA, which aimed to shed light on the tragic event and its impact on the victims’ communities. The ill-fated journey began on February 13, when a boat carrying individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, and Syria set sail from a Libyan coastal area with hopes of reaching Europe. The group comprised 27 Bangladeshis, 8 Pakistanis, 3 Egyptians, 5 Syrians, and an Egyptian individual who navigated the boat. However, their aspirations were cut short when the vessel capsized off the Tunisian coast in the early hours of February 14. Rescue operations later recovered the bodies of the eight Bangladeshis and one Pakistani, which were subsequently transferred to local hospitals. The foreign ministry's report further highlighted that among the Bangladeshi victims, seven were traveling without passports, indicating the desperate measures taken by individuals in pursuit of better opportunities. Read more: Bangladesh wants to boost cooperation with Libya to curb illegal migration

The body of a woman who went missing after an overloaded good-laden boat capsized in the  Dudhkumar River in Nageshwari upazila of Kurigram on 16 January has been recovered. Locals spotted the body floating in the river near the Adarsha Bazar area on Friday noon. The deceased, Nalo Begum, 49, was wife of Nur Mohammad of Telianikuti village of Bamondanga union. Abed Ali, Bamondanga union Ward no.8 member, said Nalo Begum was returning home from the eastern side of Murea Ghar that day. The overloaded boat capsized a few minutes after it started its journey.  Except for Nalo Begum, all of the passengers managed to swim ashore. Firefighters continued their search until Tuesday noon. Tambirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Nageshwari Police Station, said the body was handed over to her family.

The death toll from the boat capsize in the Nabaganga River in Narail rose to five with the recovery of one body on Monday. Sheikh Tasmim Alam, officer-in-charge of Kalia Police Station, said the divers from local fire service fished out the body of Royel Par, son of Imamul Mandal of Bahirdanga village around 3:30 pm. Another victim identified as Mahmud Sheikh, 41, son of Khalek Sheikh of Kalia village and son-in-law of Enamul Mandal, still remained missing since the boat capsized. Efforts are on to find Mahmud, he added. Also Read: Narail boat capsize: Death toll rises to 4 Two people drowned and five others went missing after a boat capsized in the river off the coast of Kalia upazila on Friday night. The bodies of Labu, 32, son of Tuku Chowkidar of Babupur village, and Khanze Sheikh, 55, son of Matiar Sheikh of Jokar Char village, were recovered on Sunday. The boat with 17 people on board capsized around 8:30 pm while heading towards Bahirdanga from Baghbari of Kalia municipality. Ten of them managed to swim to ashore.      

The death toll from the boat capsize in the Nabaganga River in Narail rose to four with the recovery of two bodies Sunday noon. Two people drowned and five others went missing after their boat capsized in the river off the coast of Kalia upazila on Friday night. The bodies of Labu, 32, son of Tuku Chowkidar of Babupur village, and Khanze Sheikh, 55, son of Matiar Sheikh of Jokar Char village, were recovered today. Fire service divers fished out the bodies from the Nabaganga River in Kalia upazila, said Sheikh Tasmeem Alam, office-in-charge (OC) of Kalia police station. Also Read: Mother, son drown as boat capsizes in Narail “The bodies were handed over to the Naval Police. They will take necessary legal steps,” said OC Tasmeem. Efforts are on to find the others who went missing after the accident, he added. The boat with 17 people on board capsized around 8:30 pm while heading towards Bahirdanga from Baghbari of Kalia municipality. Ten of them managed to swim to ashore.  

A mother and her son drowned and five others went missing after a boat capsized in the Nabaganga River in Narail's Kalia upazila on Friday night. The boat with 17 people on board capsized around 8:30pm while going to Bahirdanga from Baghbari of Kalia municipality, according to Md Tasmeem,  office-in-charge (OC) of Kalia police station. Read: Two friends die as their motorcycle spins out of control in Keraniganj The deceased were identified as Nazma Begum, 25, of Babupur village and her 3-year-old son Nashim. Ten occupants managed to swim to safety, OC Tasmeem added. It leaves five of the occupants unaccounted for. Read: Two missing children’s bodies recovered from the Padma Md. Fossiar Rahman, a resident of Kalia municipality, said Nazma Begum was going to visit her father's house in Bahir Danga village with her son Nashim. He said that the accident occurred as the boat was overloaded. "We are conducting a search and rescue operation for the missing passengers," said OC Tasmeem, adding that the bodies will be handed over to their families after due process.  

Two women died after a boat with 20 people on board capsized off Rajshahi city in the River Padma, police said. Eighteen others managed to swim to safety, according to Rajshahi River Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Obaidur Rahman. The two people killed were identified as Asia Begum, 35, of the Sonaikandi area of Haripur union of Paba upazila and Rasheda Begum, 45, of the same area. The accident occurred at 5:30pm in the Srirampur area of Rajpara in Rajshahi city, spilling 20 people into Padma. Haripur union parishad chairman Bajle Rezbi Al Hasan Munzil said: "On Monday morning Asia and Rasheda went to a pasture on the other side of Padma for hay. As they were returning home in the evening with bales of hay, the boat capsized." Asked what caused the boat to capsize, he said: "The vessel had been overloaded. Also, a hole appeared in the boat and water started gushing into it." "Asia and Rasheda were trapped under the boat after it capsized. They were taken out of the water by the locals and whisked off to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The women were declared dead upon arrival," OC Obaidur said. Later, their bodies were handed over to the families, he added. Read more: Dredger capsized during Sitrang: Bodies of 8 workers recovered

Brothers Hemant Roy and Vasudev Roy live in Arazi Shikarpur Battali village under Panchagarh’s Boda Upazila. Seven members of their family were on a boat on September 25 – going to the other side of the Karatoya river to perform Mahalaya rituals. Five of them were among the victims who drowned in the Karatoya when the boat sank. “I have lost everything… my wife, my brother’s wife, three grandchildren. I am numb. We’re not in a state to celebrate Durga Puja,” a distraught Hemant Roy said. Not only Hemant and Vasudev, grief has gripped several other families in Boda, Debiganj, Atwari and Sadar upazilas of the district who have lost their near and dear ones in the boat capsize that claimed 69 lives. The tragedy occurred on the day of Mahalaya – the auspicious occasion heralding the arrival of Goddess Durga – on September 25, when an overloaded boat carrying around 80 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of Karatoya river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple. So far, 69 bodies have been recovered while three still remain missing. Read: Karatoya boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 69 This is the worst waterway accident Bangladesh witnessed after the devastating fire on a Barguna-bound launch, off the coast of Jhalakathi, on December 24 last year, in which 50 lives were lost. The Hindu community in Panchagarh are observing Durga Puja without the usual festivities, mourning and honouring those who died in the boat capsize. Panchagarh district units of Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad took the decision on Friday, said Puja Udjapan Parishad’s district president Jibodhan Bamman and general secretary Bipen Chandra Roy.

The death toll from the boat capsize in the Karatoya river of Panchagarh rose to 69, with the recovery of another body on Wednesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Himalay Chandra, son of Biren Chandra of Boda upazila. Fire service divers fished out the body from the Karatoya River near Aulia ghat in the upazila, said Dipankar Roy, additional district magistrate. Bodies of 30 women, 21 children and 18 men were recovered while three others are still missing, he added. Meanwhile, the five-member probe body, headed by additional DM Roy, got three additional days to submit the probe report, said Md Zahurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Panchagarh. On Tuesday, divers from three firefighting units recovered the 18 bodies from different spots of the river. On Sunday, the overloaded passenger boat carrying around 80 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of the river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple on the occasion of Mahalaya at 2.30pm. Some 25 bodies were recovered from the river on that day only, while many others managed to swim ashore. This is the worst waterways accident the country witnessed after the devastating fire incident in a Barguna-bound launch off the coast of Jhalakathi on December 24 last year that left 50 people dead.

The death toll from the boat capsize in the River Karatoa rose to 68 as 18 more bodies were fished out of the water in Boda upazila of Panchagarh Tuesday. Divers from three firefighting units recovered the 18 bodies from different spots of the river, Dipongkar Roy, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of the district administration, said. So far the deceased included 30 women, 21 children and 17 men while four others are still missing, ADC Dipongkar said while announcing the rescue operation was calling it a day for the third consecutive day on Tuesday night. Earlier 50 bodies were recovered on Sunday and Monday from different spots of the river.      Read: Trawler capsize in Panchagarh: 8 bodies recovered in Dinajpur Mentionable, the overloaded boat carrying mostly Hindu devotees sank in the middle of the river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple on the occasion of Mahalaya around 2:30pm on Sunday. Meanwhile, a five-member probe body, headed by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Dipankar Roy, was formed to investigate the capsize, said Md Zahurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Panchagarh.   The committee was asked to submit its report within three working days.