Tragic death of 4 schoolboys

Four school students drowned in separate incidents in Ramna Lake in the capital and the Meghna river in Narayanganj yesterday.

Abdullah al Mahfuz and Naimuzzaman Chowdhury Adnan, both ninth grader at Willes Little Flower School & College, got into the lake for bathing after playing football in the park, said Arif Hossain, a friend of the victims.

Both plunged in the middle of the lake as Mahfuz tried to swim ashore with Adnan, who cannot swim, on his shoulder around 3:45pm, he said. 

A frightened Adnan held Mahfuz tightly, eventually sending both under water, Arif told reporters at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

They were rescued by bystanders and rushed to the DMCH where doctors declared them dead, said sub-inspector Bachchu Mia of the DMCH police outpost.

Abul Hossain, principal of the college, told The Daily Star the two did not attend class yesterday.

In Narayanganj, two students drowned as one tried to save his cousin from drowning in the Meghna at Sonargaon around 12:30pm.

Yeasin Hossain, 7, was a second grader at a local school, and Eamin, also 7, a first grader at another school.

Eamin jumped into the river when he saw his cousin, who was bathing, being swept away by heavy current.

Both remained traceless until their bodies were recovered by locals two hours later, police and locals said.