The mission to salvage the sunken ferry “Rajanigandha” in the Padma River, following its tragic capsizing in Paturia, Manikganj, has encountered significant challenges. Authorities express skepticism about the possibility of rescuing the ferry, which was transporting pick-up trucks and covered vans.
Despite the joint efforts of rescue ships “Rustom” and “Hamza,” the operation faced setbacks, recovering only a cotton-laden truck from the submerged ferry around 3 pm. Out of the nine vehicles that sank with the ferry, only three have been salvaged thus far.
Mechanical driver Humayun Kabir remains missing, informed Shah Md Khaled Newaz, Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Aricha office.
Mohammad Sajahan, Director of the Naval Conservation Service of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), disclosed that another rescue vessel, “Pratyay,” is expected to join the operation by Friday. However, he expressed doubts about salvaging the ferry, citing its increased weight due to sand and water accumulation, surpassing the rescue ship’s capacity of 250 tons.
BIWTC Chairman Dr. AKM Matiur emphasized their commitment to recovering all vehicles from the sunken ferry. He mentioned that an investigation committee will determine the cause of the accident, and alternative arrangements will be made if the current salvage efforts fall short.
Amid the rescue operation challenges, two separate investigation committees have been formed by the district administration and BIWTC. The district administration committee, headed by Additional District Magistrate Sanjida Jesmin, aims to submit a report within the next seven working days. Simultaneously, BIWTC Chairman Matiur Rahman announced the formation of a five-member committee to investigate the incident, with Deputy Commissioner Rehena Akhtar emphasizing the importance of the investigation report in confirming the initial cause of the ferry’s sinking. Stay tuned for updates on this developing situation.
