On the eve of Independence Day, a tragic accident claimed at least 26 lives. On Wednesday afternoon, a bus carrying around 50 passengers plunged into the Padma River at Daulatdia Ghat of Rajbari. Immediately after the incident, it was expected that most of the passengers would die as the images of the bus falling into the river indicated that there is a little chance that the ill-fated passengers would be able to come out safely from the sunken bus.

On the heels of the accident, various questions cropped up in the mind as to whether the accident could be averted, whether there was negligence on the part of the driver.

The media reports at around 5:15 pm on Wednesday, a passenger bus of Souharda Paribahan bound for Dhaka lost control at Daulatdia Ghat No. 3 and fell into the Padma River from the pontoon.

Whatever the causes of the incident, the harsh reality is that 26 precious lives including children have been lost in the tragedy. An inquiry committee has been formed to find the causes and come up with recommendations to avert accidents in the future.