Zahirul Islam, 30, tragically drowned in the strong current of the Meghna River while bathing with his wife near the Chandpur Launch Terminal. The incident occurred at 7:30 AM on Thursday, in the Tilabari area. Hundreds of locals gathered at the riverbank, and relatives were seen weeping in grief.
Several diving teams from the BIWTA and the Naval Fire Service immediately launched a search operation for Zahirul. However, three hours later, there was still no trace of him.
Eyewitnesses reported that Zahirul, originally from Barisal, lived with his wife and two children in a rented house in Tilabari. He worked as an autorickshaw driver and occasionally sold nuts at the launch terminal.
His brother, Nazrul Islam, stated, "My brother knew how to swim and bathe here daily. On Thursday morning, he went down with his wife, Monira Begum, but never resurfaced. We believe he was swept away by the strong current."
Moslem Miyaji, in charge of the Chandpur Naval Fire Service, said, "Our diving team has been continuously searching for the missing person since receiving the report. However, the strong current makes it difficult to locate him. As of 10:30 AM, we have not yet found any sign of Zahirul."
