The bodies of two students from Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST), who, along with two others, had gone missing from Saint Martin’s Island in Teknaf on Monday while out swimming, were recovered on Wednesday morning.
The deceased were Shariar Islam Noman and Golam Rahim Bappi, as identified by their relatives. All four were final year students of the Computer Science and Engineering Department of AUST.
The two students still missing are Sabbir Hossain Sagoto and Istiaq Bin Mahmud alias Uday.
With the latest recovery, the death toll from the mishap now stands at four, two of whom died earlier while receiving treatment at a hospital in Cox’s Bazar on Monday after being rescued in critical condition.
The search team comprising members of the Navy and the Coast Guard spotted the bodies floating near the island.
“One body was recovered from the north side of the island around 9am while the other was found around 11am in the eastern part,” said Lieutenant Quazi Harun-ur Rashid, commander of the Teknaf Coast Guard.
“Our team will continue the search for the other missing students,” the commander added.
Around 1pm, the bodies were handed over to their family members in Teknaf. Noman’s family members set out for Muktagasa village, Mymensingh, to bury the body. Noman used to reside with his uncle in the Uttara area of Dhaka.
Tomal, Noman’s cousin, told the Dhaka Tribune via phone that his cousin was an expert swimmer and the cause of his drowning was very strange to him.
Golam Rahim Bappi’s family members also left Teknaf for Trisal, Mymensingh. He was the only son of Shams Uddin Ahmed.
Teary-eyed Shams said his son had graduated from a cadet college and knew how to swim very well. “It is not clear to me at all why he drowned in the sea.”
Farhanul Morteza Farhan, a survivor, told the Dhaka Tribune via mobile that they had fallen into a quicksand trap.
Farhan alleged that there was no cautionary flag hoisted as is mandatory during ebb tide. However, soon after the incident, the authorities concerned erected a flag there.
On Friday night, 34 students of the department went to Cox’s Bazar to celebrate Pahela Baishakh and on Monday, they reached the island. Ten of them were carried out to sea in huge surge. Locals and coast guard members were later able to rescue six of them.