Rajnigandha capsize: Second engine master gave all to save ferry, passengers

Humayun Kabir. Photo: Collected

As the 'Rajnigandha' ferry began to sink in the Padma River amid dense fog, Humayun Kabir, the second engine master, did something unusually brave, according to crew members. Rather than prioritising his own safety, he devoted himself to saving the vessel and its passengers until the final moments.

Humayun Kabir was the only person who went missing after the ferry with several pick-up trucks and covered vans sank in the river amid dense fog near Paturia Ghat in Manikganj around 8:16am on 17 January. 

Five days later, his body was recovered approximately 7km away from the scene on 22 January, according to fire service officials.

Md Rubel-uz-Zaman, the executive engineer of the Paturia Ferry Service Unit of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), recounted the final moments of Humayun Kabir to The Business Standard, citing insights from his colleagues who survived the accident.

"As the water level rose in the ferry, Humayun made every effort to safeguard the vessel with maximum effort. Ultimately, when the ferry began to sink, Humayun ensured that no one got trapped in the vessel. Once everyone was safely disembarked from the ferry into the river, he attempted to descend himself," he said.

"However, the subsequent events remain unknown. Those aboard the ferry speculated that he might have been crushed against the side of one of the trucks and could not make it out," Rubel said.

Humayun Kabir, a resident of Mativangga union in Bhandaria upazila of Pirojpur district, worked for the BIWTC and was a father of three, according to his colleagues.

Starting as a greaser in 2011, he served as a second engine master on the sunken ferry Rajnigandha for less than a year, in adherence to BIWTC's two-year maximum tenure rule.

In addition to his ferry duties, Humayun was the president of the BIWTC Workers' Union (Aricha region), gaining respect for his organisational skills.

According to Nazmul Haque, vice-president of BIWTC Workers' Union and a second engine master on another ferry, Humayun was not only a skilled organiser but also a brave individual who prioritised others' safety over his own.

On the night of the incident, as the ferry anchored in dense fog, Humayun woke everyone when he noticed rising water levels. He assisted passengers but couldn't save himself, Nazmul said.

Paturia Ferry Service Unit's executive engineer, Md Rubel-uz-Zaman, explained that a second engine master oversees the ferry's engine and machinery. On the day of the incident, Humayun was in the engine room, supervising pump operations.

BIWTC officials identified Meher Ali as the ferry master in charge on the day of the accident; however, The Business Standard was unable to reach him despite numerous attempts.

Meher Ali has consistently maintained to BIWTC officials that a bulkhead struck the ferry while it was anchored on the day of the incident. The exact nature of the incident, whether any part of the ferry's bottom or side broke, remains unconfirmed until the complete lifting of the ferry.

Rajnigandha, one of 16 ferries on the Paturia-Daulatdia route, was built in 2014 with a capacity for 9 trucks and a weight capacity of 250 tons. The ferry's scheduled check-up was in April next year, following its last maintenance check in November 2020.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the ferry's capsizing, whether it resulted from water seepage or a collision with a bulkhead. The sunken ferry was salvaged on 23 January but kept hanging three feet above the river to clear out the sand.