Man Missing After Bathing in Ghaghat River in Gaibandha, Daylong Search Finds No Trace
A 40-year-old man, Nazmul Huda Niyon, has gone missing after going to bathe in the Ghaghat River in Gaibandha. The accident happened at noon on Thursday (22 October). A daylong search, including by a Fire Service diving team, found no trace of him by evening.
The incident took place in the Ghaghat River at Kajaldop in Ballamjhar Union of Gaibandha Sadar upazila. Niyon had gone to the riverbank with his wife and two nephews. Relatives who were with him said he went under the water while bathing.
Nazmul Huda Niyon is the son of Moazzem Hossain of Pashchim Para in Gaibandha town. He worked at a private company in Dhaka. Besides his wife, he has two daughters. The sudden incident has cast anxiety and grief over the family.
Family and Fire Service sources said Niyon had come home for the Durga Puja holiday. On Wednesday he went to his elder brother-in-law's house for a meal invitation. It was as part of that visit that he went to the Ghaghat riverbank with relatives on Thursday noon.
On Thursday noon, Niyon, his wife Juthi and nephews Nehal and Simanto went to the Ghaghat riverbank at Kajaldop. Juthi sat on the bank. Niyon entered the river with the two nephews to bathe. After a while Nehal and Simanto came back up to the bank, but Niyon did not — he had disappeared.
Niyon's brother-in-law Masud Mia, describing the incident, said four people including Niyon and his wife had gone towards the river. Juthi sat on the bank while the other three went into the river to bathe. At one point Niyon suddenly went under the water. The nephews Nehal and Simanto reached the bank, but Niyon went missing. He said a daylong search had found no trace of him.
On receiving the news, the Fire Service reached the spot. Gaibandha Sadar Fire Service station in-charge Rifat Al Mamun said they arrived at around 1pm. To assist the rescue work, they contacted the Rangpur diving team.
The diving team from Rangpur reached the scene at 2:40pm. The divers then searched the river continuously until 5:40pm. But even as daylight faded, no trace of Niyon was found.
The Fire Service said the rescue operation would resume on Friday morning. All eyes are now on whether the second day's search in that stretch of the river finds Niyon. On the bank, the waiting of relatives grows longer with every hour.
The disappearance in the river of a man who had returned home to spend a holiday has caused a stir in the area. Relatives are now waiting for just one piece of news — that Niyon has been found. Friday morning's operation will decide what comes next.
