KOYRA (KHULNA); Dbarta24 Correspondent — In a swift and life-saving operation, members of the Naval Police rescued nine people, including tourists, after an engine-driven wooden boat lost control and capsized near the Sundarbans on Friday afternoon.
The accident occurred around 5:30 PM at Singhertek, near the confluence of the Shakbaria and Arpangachhia rivers under Koyra Upazila in Khulna district.
Authorities confirmed that all nine passengers were safely brought to shore, and no casualties or missing person reports were filed.
Midnight Patrol turned Emergency Mission
According to police sources, a patrol team from the Angtihara Naval Police Outpost was conducting routine duty nearby when they received an emergency distress call via the national helpline 999.
The caller reported that a tourist vessel carrying multiple individuals had overturned in the river near Singhertek.
The response team rushed to the scene immediately, where they witnessed a perilous situation along the edge of the mangrove forest.
“The boat sank near the bank of the Sundarbans, an area flanked by human settlements on one side and dense forest on the other,” said Md. Faruk Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Angtihara Naval Police Outpost. “Some passengers managed to swim toward the forest side. Upon receiving the news, our team moved rapidly and successfully rescued all nine individuals.”
Upon arrival, officers found three passengers clinging to the overturned hull of the boat in the middle of the river.
Six others had managed to swim to the forest shore, desperately holding onto tree branches along the riverbank to keep from being swept away by the current.
Identity of the Passengers
The rescued individuals consist of local boatmen and visitors from nearby upazilas and districts:
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Boat Crew & Local Visitors: Kismat Ali (48, boatman), Nayeem Hossain (22), Rakibul Hasan (18), Md. Ashik (25), Md. Palash Hossain (23), Md. Shaheen (25), and Imamul Hossain (25) — all hailing from Napitkhali village in Shyamnagar Upazila, Satkhira.
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Tourists from Benapole: Md. Galib (25) and Md. Abdullah (22), residents of Kagojpukur in Benapole Municipality, Jhessore.
During preliminary questioning, the passengers revealed that they had boarded the wooden boat at around 2:30 PM from Napitkhali, Satkhira, intending to explore the riverways bordering Angtihara and the adjacent Sundarbans forest area.
While returning around 5:15 PM, the vessel suddenly lost steering control in the mid-river currents at Singhertek and capsized within minutes.
Navigational Context & Forest Regulations
The site of the accident falls under the jurisdiction of the Andharmanik Patrol Post under the Kasiyabad Forest Station.
Nasir Uddin, an official at the Kasiyabad Forest Station, clarified that the confluence of the Shakbaria and Arpangachhia rivers was historically designated as the Rai River on British-era maps.
Because the waterway runs alongside populated settlements, it remains a heavily traveled route for local commuter vessels.
Addressing questions regarding forest access restrictions, Nasir Uddin added:
“Entry for forest gatherers and tourists into the Sundarbans is currently banned due to the ongoing wildlife breeding season. However, there is no restriction on navigating public river routes running alongside human settlements. The boat was operating strictly within these permitted public waterways.”
Prompt coordination between emergency services and the vigilant patrol unit prevented what could have turned into a severe tragedy along the isolated fringe of the world’s largest mangrove forest.