Farmer drowns as boat capsizes in Punarbhaba

DINAJPUR, Oct 27: A 55-year-old farmer drowned when his boat capsized in the Punarbhaba River between Ghughudanga Village of Dinajpur Sadar Upazila and Dharmapur Village of Birol Upazila in the district on Sunday morning.

Fire Service personnel recovered the body of Afzal Hossain, a resident of Dharmapur Village, around noon after a two-hour search operation.

According to local resident Jewel Hossain of Ghughudanga, Afzal was working in his potato field on the eastern bank of the river when his daughter-in-law and two grandchildren waited for him on the western bank with food. He crossed the river in a small wooden boat to collect the meal and bring them back. 

The boat capsized midway through the return journey. Passengers in nearby boats rescued the woman and the two children, but Afzal was swept away by the current. Locals initially attempted to rescue him before informing the Fire Service, which dispatched a unit to the scene.

Mohammad Alauddin, a telephone operator at the Fire Service control room, confirmed that rescuers recovered Afzal’s body after nearly two hours of searching.