A pall of gloom has descended over Hindu localities in Boda as many families are mourning their loved ones lost in the tragic boat capsize in the Korotoa River on the day of Mahalaya, the the first day of Sharadiya Durga Puja, on September 25.
Three-year-old Aranya is too young to understand what has happened. He constantly looks around for his mother, his eyes full of pain.
Aranya's mother Rupali Rani, 30, lost her life in the incident. She was on her way to Bodeshwari temple along with six other family members to attend the Dharma Sabha on the occasion of Mahalaya, leaving the child at home. The bodies of Rupali and two others were recovered from the Korotoa River, but her five-year-old daughter Joya Rani is still missing.
Aranya's father Basudeb Chandra recalled the fateful day with grief. “Durga Puja is our biggest festival, and I lost all the joy of my life on the festival's first day.”
Mother Durga's devotees are distraught after losing their relatives and the festival of worshipping the goddess of blessings has faded. Organizers and volunteers are wearing black badges and have hung mourning banners on every pavilion. Flashy lighting and excessive music have also been avoided.
On Sunday, special prayers were held at the Puja pavilions and temples across the country to mourn the dead.
The wave of mourning was also felt in the neighbouring districts of Thakurgaon, Nilphamari and Dinajpur, as many of the dead had relatives in those areas.
Of the 72 people reported dead or missing, the authorities have been able to recover the bodies of 69, mostly women and children. Among them, 45 are from Panchagarh’s Boda Upazila, 18 from Debiganj, two from Atwari, and one from Panchadarh Sadar. Three others came to their relatives’ houses from Thakurgaon district to celebrate Durga Puja.
Meanwhile, the authorities continued their operations to find Joya and two others for the ninth day on Sunday.
People who live near the river say they have never seen or heard about any fatal boat capsize incident in their lifetime, since the Korotoa is known to be a calm river. They say the fatalities could have been averted had the lessee, the police and the Fire Service members on duty at Auliar Ghat taken proper measures to control the rush of passengers and allotted at least six boats on that day, as requested by the temple authorities.
Panchagarh District Puja Celebration Committee General Secretary Shri Bipen Chandra Roy said the Central Committee had decided to organize special prayers on the seventh day for the eternal peace of the dead. Moreover, celebrations have been curtailed at 295 pavilions of the district in remembrance of the victims.
