What began as an evening of celebration ended in anguish for two families in Kaliakair, Gazipur, after an engine-run boat capsized in the Turag River during Bijoya Dashami, leaving two children missing.

The riverside was vibrant with colour, music, and the beating of drums as devotees prepared to immerse idols of Goddess Durga, marking the end of the five-day festival. 

The joyous atmosphere, however, quickly gave way to panic when a boat carrying 18 to 20 people overturned following a collision with another vessel.

Witnesses say that while most passengers managed to swim ashore, two young children—Tanmoy and Ankita—were swept away in the swirling waters. 

Both hailed from South Hijabatli village under Kaliakair upazila. “We saw the boat tip over within seconds after the collision. People were screaming, struggling to swim, clinging to one another. Many reached the banks somehow, but the children disappeared into the current,” recalled Abdur Rahman, a local resident who rushed to help.

The missing children’s families are inconsolable. Relatives stood by the riverbank through the night, praying for a miracle as divers from the Fire Service continued their search. 

“My child went to see the puja, not to vanish like this,” sobbed a family member, her cries piercing the tense silence along the river.

Local officials, including Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Kawsar Ahmed, joined the rescue efforts soon after the incident. 

Police and fire service teams are still scouring the waters. 

“We are doing everything possible to locate the children,” the UNO said, urging patience as the operation continued.

The tragedy has reignited concerns over safety on Bangladesh’s waterways, especially during festivals when hundreds gather along rivers for rituals and processions. Experts note that overloading, poor monitoring, and the absence of lifejackets often turn minor accidents into major disasters.

For the people of South Hijabatli and beyond, this Bijoya Dashami will be remembered not for the traditional farewell to the Goddess, but for the haunting absence of two children whose laughter once echoed along the village lanes. 

The celebrations have ended in mourning, and the river that carried idols to the depths has also claimed two young lives—still unaccounted for as night falls.