Disabled youth missing after falling into Dakatia River
Sohaibul Islam Sohag, Cumilla (North)
A 21-year-old disabled youth, Rakibul Islam Limon, went missing after falling into the Dakatia River in Lalmai upazila of Cumilla on Tuesday morning.
Limon, a resident of Bakai village in Bakai South Union under Laksam upazila and the son of local mosque Imam Jamal Hossain, disappeared near the Shikaripara Bridge in Bakai North Union around 5:30 am.
According to local sources, Limon left his home in a wheelchair early Tuesday morning. Elyas, the muezzin of a nearby mosque, spotted Limon sitting in his wheelchair on the Shikaripara Bridge and inquired about his residence, to which Limon responded "Bakai." After the muezzin entered the mosque to deliver the call to prayer, he returned to find the wheelchair abandoned on the bridge without Limon.
Upon receiving the news, family members and local residents rushed to the spot and commenced search operations along the riverbanks. Fire service personnel and a specialized diving team from Chandpur district conducted underwater searches throughout the day until evening, but were unable to trace the missing youth due to the river's significant depth.
Limon's elderly grandfather, Moslem, remained stationed on the bridge throughout the day, overcome with grief while awaiting news of his missing grandson.
Laksam Fire Service Warehouse Inspector Monjurul Islam confirmed that despite extensive search operations by the diving unit until dusk, the missing youth could not be located, adding that rescue operations were temporarily suspended as the diving team returned to Chandpur.
