A mother and her 22-day-old son died as the small boat carrying them capsized in Buriganga River near Sadarghat in the capital yesterday.
One person went missing and another sustained injuries in the incident that took place when the boat got smashed between a launch and an oil-laden vessel.
The victims were identified as Khadija Begum, 35, and her son Obaidul Islam. Her husband Wahab Mia, injured, was admitted in Mitford Hospital. However, the missing mother-in-law Setara Begum, 60, could not be traced as of filing this report.
Wahab, a private car chauffeur in Savar, told reporters that he along with his family were going to Sadarghat launch terminal to catch a ride to Patuakhali’s Golachipa for the upcoming holidays.
“We reached Waiseghat from Gabtoli by water bus around 10am. We were supposed to board MV Pubali launch. But as it was in mid-river, we had to take a small boat...When the boat neared the launch, it got stuck between an oil tanker and the launch. The vessels smashed the boat.”
Jamal Uddin Mir, the OC of South Keraniganj police station, said the child was decapitated and the mother received serious head wounds.
“It happened due to the carelessness of the boatman, who survived and escaped,” he said.
A team of divers of the Fire Service along with locals began a search operation for Setara Begum.