36 people dead after fire breaks out aboard a packed ferry in Bangladesh
Dhaka(PTI): At least 36 people died and nearly 200 others were injured on Friday after a massive fire ripped through a packed passenger ferry on the Sugandha river in southern Bangladesh, officials said.
The fire broke out around 3:00 am (local time) on Friday in the engine room of the Barguna-bound MV Abhijan-10 launch that started a journey from Dhaka.
The authorities recovered the burnt bodies of at least 36 people after a fire broke out on a passenger launch on the Sugandha River in Jhalakathi, 250 kilometeres South of the capital Dhaka, The Dhaka Tribune reported.
The fire also left over 200 others with burn injuries. They are currently undergoing treatment at local hospitals, the report quoted the launch administration, police and fire service personnel as saying.
The death toll is likely to rise as more passengers have been injured. Rescuers have recovered 36 bodies so far from the charred launch, Jhalakathi Deputy Commissioner Zohor Ali said.
As many as 72 people have been hospitalised with injuries, according to the Fire Service control room, bdnews24.com reported.
Many passengers jumped into the river in a desperate bid to save their lives as the fire raged for about three hours. Survivors say the launch was packed with passengers.
Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, deputy director of the Barishal Fire Service who led the response, said they suspect the fire may have started in the launch's engine room.
"After receiving the information, 15 firefighting units led by Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, deputy director of Barishal Division Fire Service and Civil Defence went to the scene at 3:50 am and brought the fire under control at 5:20 am," said a fire service control room statement.
"The engine room of the launch suddenly caught fire around 3:00 am and spread rapidly when the vessel was near the Gabkhan Bridge," Saidur Rahman, one of the survivors, was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper.
"There were around 500 passengers including children and elderly. Many of them jumped in the river and were able to swim ashore," he said.
"I caught a burning smell and came out of VIP cabin to find out that there was a fire. Me, my wife and brother-in-law then jumped in the cold water and swam to the bank," he added.
A probe will be launched to determine the cause of the fire and the amount of the resulting damage.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Belagavi: UT Khader lauds Munawwar Zama's Four-Pillar Education Model
Hubballi/Belagavi: Eminent motivational speaker and educationist Munawar Zama delivered the keynote address at the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Sana Group of Institutions, held at the Presidency Club in Belagavi. The event brought together management heads and senior representatives of educational institutions from across North Karnataka.
The programme was attended by several dignitaries, including U. T. Khader, Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, Minister for Housing, Waqf and Minority Welfare, and Naseer Ahmed, Political Secretary to the Chief Minister of Karnataka. During the event, Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan felicitated Munawar Zama in recognition of his contribution to education and youth development.
In his address, Munawar Zama spoke on the importance of effective management and coordination in educational institutions. He presented what he described as a “four-pillar” model of education, comparing an institution to a vehicle that requires all four wheels to function smoothly. According to him, the four essential pillars are management, teachers, parents and students, and imbalance among any of these can affect the overall progress of an institution.
Explaining the role of management, he said leadership plays a central role in shaping the vision, governance standards, infrastructure and learning environment of an institution. He emphasised the need for transparent systems and long-term planning to sustain academic quality and public trust.
He described teachers as the backbone of the education system, noting that their role extends beyond academics to shaping students’ values, confidence and character. He said motivated teachers, supported through professional development and institutional backing, help create an environment that encourages discipline, curiosity and critical thinking.
On the role of parents, Munawar Zama said education is a shared responsibility. He stressed that parental involvement strengthens coordination with teachers and helps reinforce positive habits and values in students. Students, he said, remain the central focus of the educational ecosystem, and their attitude towards learning and growth determines the effectiveness of collective efforts.
He also highlighted the importance of mathematics, urging students to build a strong foundation in the subject regardless of their chosen fields. According to him, mathematics helps develop logical reasoning, analytical skills and structured problem-solving abilities that are relevant across professions.
Speaking on the occasion, Speaker U. T. Khader lauded Munawar Zama’s four-pillar education model, describing it as practical and relevant to the current needs of the education system. He said the framework clearly highlighted the shared responsibility of all stakeholders in building strong and effective educational institutions.
Participants, particularly institutional heads, said the four-pillar framework encouraged reflection on collective responsibility and balanced participation in education.
As part of its Silver Jubilee celebrations, the Sana Group of Institutions, based in Hubballi, organised the North Karnataka Educational Summit 2025. The institution is led by Chairman Mohammed Hussain Malagi, Managing Trustee Ashraf Ali Bashir Ahamed, and Executive Trustees Ayub Savanur, Mohammed Tariq Mujahid and Khalid Malagi.
A key outcome of the summit was the decision to form the Association for Advancement of Minority Institutions, North Karnataka (AAMINK). The association aims to work collectively on educational, administrative and legal issues, with the objective of strengthening minority institutions through cooperation and shared representation.
The Silver Jubilee celebrations concluded with discussions on institutional development and long-term strategies for improving education across the region.
