A tractor driver died after the vehicle overturned and fell into the Padma River while plowing farmland in Charbhadrasan upazila of Faridpur on Friday,
The deceased was identified as Joy Biswas, 20, of Shahbazpur village in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah.
His body recovered around 11am from the Padma River near Balurghat village of Char Jhaukanda Union. Fire service personnel, local residents and police jointly carried out the recovery operation.
Sub-inspector Mozammel Haque Biswas of Charbhadrasan Police Station said police prepared an inquest report after recovering the body and informed the victim’s family. Further legal steps will be taken following discussions with relatives, he added.
According to police and locals, Joy had been working for the past two days, plowing agricultural land with a tractor owned by a local farmer, Mohammad Ali. Around 1am, he was operating the tractor on farmland adjacent to the riverbank when he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to fall into the Padma River.
He became trapped beneath the submerged tractor and was unable to escape. As no one else was present at the scene, the incident went unnoticed overnight.
Around 8am, locals spotted parts of the tractor, including its wheels, floating in the river and informed police. A team from the Charbhadrasan Fire Service later launched a rescue operation and recovered Joy’s body around 11am.
Wahidul Islam, station officer of the Charbhadrasan Fire Service, said firefighters recovered the body after receiving the report. He added that the accident may have occurred either because the driver fell asleep or due to a collapse of the riverbank beneath the tractor.