Sunamganj Correspondent; Dbarta24 — Rising safety violations and negligence have cast a shadow over tourism in Tanguar Haor, where five visitors—including children and elderly tourists—have tragically lost their lives over the past four months.
Driven by drowning incidents, falls from moving watercraft, and boat engine accidents, local authorities are now moving toward strict enforcement of safety regulations and mandatory vessel registration.
The most recent tragedy occurred on Thursday morning when Abdul Majed, a 24-year-old student from Rajshahi, drowned near the Lamagaon area.
Majed jumped into the water for a swim while his houseboat had briefly docked at a local market, but failed to resurface. Local residents later recovered his body.
This loss follows a series of deadly incidents in the wetland ecosystem. On August 21, a 10-year-old girl named Rokaiya Noor fell off the roof of a moving houseboat and drowned.
On August 7, 72-year-old Ali Akbar Khan drowned while swimming in the Golabari area.
Earlier in June, eight-year-old Moumata Sarkar died after falling into a boat engine, and in May, 17-year-old Tamim Islam drowned after slipping off a boat roof while dancing to loud music.
Tanguar Haor, spanning over 12,655 hectares across Tahirpur and Middle Nagar upazilas, attracts thousands of tourists during the monsoon season.
More than 200 luxury houseboats and nearly 400 traditional boats operate across its vast network of canals and beels.
However, safety compliance remains critically low. None of the recent drowning victims were wearing mandatory life jackets at the time of their accidents.
Despite a 13-point safety directive issued by the Sunamganj district administration on August 3—which mandates life jacket usage, proper waste management, noise control, and vessel registration—operators continue to violate protocols.
Local resident Kamal Hossain noted that a lack of discipline and enforcement on the water has allowed these preventable accidents to recur.
In response, the Tanguar Haor Protection Implementation and Monitoring Committee held an emergency meeting chaired by District Magistrate Mohammad Minhajur Rahman.
Officials revealed that out of over 600 operating vessels, only 49 have applied for mandatory registration.
“The administration and the Department of Environment are now conducting mobile court drives two days a week,” stated Sunamganj Additional District Magistrate Md. Motiur Rahman Khan. “Unregistered vessels will not be permitted to carry tourists into the haor.”
Authorities have granted boat owner associations a two-day deadline to submit registration applications before initiating sweeping legal actions to restore safety and order across the wetland.