Narayanganj: Three school students drowned while bathing in the Meghna River near the Bhatibandar Balurmath area of Sonargaon upazila this afternoon. The deceased students were identified as ninth graders Asekin, 15, and Arefin, 15, who were twin brothers, and eighth grader Abir, 14. All were students of Mograpara H.G.G.S. Smriti Government School in Sonargaon upazila.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the three students, Asekin and Arefin, sons of Mohammad Faruk, and Abir, son of Abdul Alim, all from the Barimajlish area under Mograpara Union, left home in the morning, informing their families that they were going to school. Instead, they went to bathe in the Meghna River in the Bhatibandar Balurmath area.
During their outing, the strong current of the river swept away Asekin, Arefin, and Abir, leading to their tragic drowning. A fourth friend who was with them managed to swim to safety and reach the shore.
Upon receiving information about the incident, the local unit of the Fire Service initiated a rescue operation. A diving team from Dhaka later joined the efforts. Approximately one and a half hours after the students went missing, the bodies of two were recovered from the river. The body of the remaining student was found around 5:10 pm.
Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy director of the Narayanganj Fire Service office, confirmed the incident, stating that the bodies were handed over to Sonargaon Police Station for the necessary legal procedures.