2 children drown in 2 dists

Two children drowned in separate incidents in Sadullapur Upazila of Gaibandha District and Bauphal Upazila of Patuakhali District in two days.

SADULLAPUR, GAIBANDHA: A 1.5-year-old girl drowned in a pond near her home in Sadullapur Upazila of the district on Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred around 9 am in Paschim Manduapara Village in Naldanga Union. The child, identified as Saiba Khatun, was the daughter of Hossain Ali, a resident of the village.

Family members said they began searching for Saiba after discovering she was missing. They later found her in the pond beside their home, but she had already died.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadullapur Police Station (PS) AKM Habibul Islam was contacted by phone for comment but ended the call, saying he was busy.

BAUPHAL, PATUAKHALI: A 7-year-old boy drowned while swimming with a football in a pond in Bauphal Upazila of the district on Monday afternoon.

The body of Yasin Mridha, the youngest of three children of cattle trader Md Forkan Mridha of Ward No. 2 of Kalaiya Union, was recovered from the pond at about 2:30 pm, according to family members.

Family members said Yasin went swimming with his 12-year-old maternal uncle, Abdullah, at about 1 pm. Both initially left the pond, but Yasin later returned with a football and went back into the water.

Relatives said Yasin had swum in the pond with a football before. They suspect he drowned while trying to retrieve the ball after it drifted away from him. He was taken to the Bauphal Upazila Health Complex, where he was declared dead.
Bauphal PS OC Sirajul Islam said police were investigating the incident.