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CHAPAINAWABGANJ, August 28, 2026 (BSS) - Five girls drowned while taking bath in a river beside Char Chakla village of Debinagar union under Sadar upazila of the district this afternoon. 

The deceased were identified as Sumaiya, 9 and Abida 7, daughters of Md. Masud of the same village; Sumaiya, 12 and Suraiya, 9, daughters of Nemaz Uddin; and Sharifa, 8, daughter of Shariful. They all were cousins to each other.

According to police, the children went to the river to bathe without informing anyone during Jummah prayers.

Later, family members began searching for them and found them in the water. Local residents then conducted a search in the river and rescued the children. However, by the time they were brought out of the water, all five children had died.

The deaths of the five children have cast a pall of grief over Char Chakla village. The area has become heavy with the wails of the bereaved family members.

Md. Mojibur Rahman, a member of Ward No. 3 of Debinagar Union Parishad, said the river beside Char Chakla village is locally known as a “dead river.” It is a branch of the Padma River. During the monsoon and periods of heavy rain, water from the Padma flows into the river, causing it to become flooded, he said.

He said there is usually very little water in the river during other times of the year. However, as it is currently the monsoon and flood season, the river is filled with water, he said.
 
Meanwhile, confirming the deaths of the five children, Md. Ekramul Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chapainawabganj Sadar Model Police Station, said police had reached the scene. Further action would be announced later, he added.