Notable Maritime Disasters in Bangladesh

MV Coco-4

Bangladesh is the land of river. More than 700 rivers have made this land fertile. Rivers have created here civilization. Rivers have created here poems and literatures. Rivers have taken lives and have given lives to millions.

Transportation over rivers are common in Bangladesh and accidents taking away lives are also common.
Here are some examples of  maritime disasters in Bangladesh:

Atlas Star Double-decker ferry, sank in stormy weather in Bangladesh. 500 passengers were feared drowned, 20 April 1986.

Shamia Ferry capsized in the River Meghna in southern Barisal district, Bangladesh, some 600 people died, 25 May 1986.

Dinar Bangladesh ferry, sank c.300 lost, 1994.

Ferry disaster 1994 More than 250 killed when a ferry sank in a storm on the River Meghna, 20 August 1994.

Ferry disaster 1996 At least 77 people were feared drowned in a sunken ferry after a collision on the Jamuna River, 23 May 1996.

Ferry disaster 1997 Ferry on the Dhanu River northeast of Dhaka capsized in a whirlpool and at least 50 people were drowned, 13 June 1997.

Fishermen lost 1997 At least 150 fishermen were missing in the Bay of Bengal after a storm sank their boats, 1 August 1997.

Fishermen lost 1998 over 100 fisherman in trawlers and boats capsized in the Bay of Bengal during a storm and were feared dead, 12 August 1998.

Ferry disaster 1999 200 people were feared dead when a river ferry boat sank. About 100 people were rescued or swam to shore, 8 May 1999.

Fishermen lost 2000 13 boats with 130 fishermen were reported sunk during rainstorms, 1 September 2000.

Ferry disaster 2000 Ferry collided with another ferry and sank on the Meghna River in southeastern Bangladesh. At least 178 people were killed, 29 December 2000.

MV Salahuddin-2 Bangladeshi river ferry, capsized in the Meghna river, south of Dhaka in a storm, with some 400 passengers traveling from Dhaka to southern Patuakhali. Early reports had only 100 survivors. The ferry was raised and the death toll increased to 370, 3 May 2002.

Ferry regulation Government orders tightening of safety standards after the MV Salahuddin-2 sinking, May 2002.

Severe storm 2002 Some 200 people were feared dead after 19 boats disappeared in a storm off Bangladesh, 13 November 2002.

Northern Bangladesh ferry I river boat carrying more than 170 people capsized, killing 79 people, including 49 children, 4 April 2003.

Northern Bangladesh ferry II Up to 100 people were reported missing after a ferry capsized in the Nagchinni River. Searchers recovered the bodies of victims, bringing the death toll to 16, 12 April 2003.

MV Mitali Ferry boat went down in the Buriganga River, 21 April 2003.

ML Majlishpur Ferry, carrying about 90 members of a wedding party, capsized in the Meghna River, 21 April 2003.

Nasreen-1 c. 530 people drowned, after Bangladeshi ferry M.V. Nasreen, a triple-decked vessel travelling from Dhaka to Lalmohan carrying 750 people (designed to hold 350), capsized off south-eastern Bangladesh, a spot notorious for converging currents that create a whirlpool effect, as it is at the confluence of three rivers, the Meghna, the Padma and the Dakatia. Initial reports suggest the ferry may have been overloaded, not just with passengers, but also with a big cargo of rice and vegetables. Some 220 survivors were counted, 8 July 2003.

MV Maharaj disaster Double-decker passenger ferry capsized and sank during a tropical storm, leaving at least 151 people dead. The MV Maharaj was carrying about 200 people when it capsized on the Buriganga River just outside Dhaka, 19 February 2005.

Tree ferry accidents 2005 At least 133 people are killed and 187 people still missing within a week in three ferry accidents, reported 20 May 2005.

Ferry capsized At least 70 people were missing after a ferry capsized in the Bay of Bengal while sailing to Chittagong port in Bangladesh from a nearby island, 7 November 2005.

Ferry collision In southern Bangladesh at least 3 people were killed and 100 hurt after two ferries packed with passengers rushing home for a Muslim festival collided in dense fog on the Meghna River, 29 December 2006.

Ferry disaster 2008 I Ferry carrying more than 100 people collided with a cargo vessel and capsized in a river near Dhaka, killing at least 39 people with 20 missing, 28 February 2008.

Ferry disaster 2008 II Ferry on the Ghorautura River capsized with nearly 150 passengers and at least 44 people were killed, 12 May 2008.

MV Coco-4 was a ferry that sunk near Bhola Island, Bangladesh on 27 November 2009, killing at least 56 people, out of more than a thousand on board, with several dozen more reported missing. Like most ferries in Bangladesh, it was operating without a passenger list, so identities of those dead are still unknown. On 29 November, a salvage ship raised the ferry, giving rescuers access to additional bodies on the lower decks of the ship. During these operations, rescuers were met by angry crowds upset at delays in rescue operations. According to a survivor, "The ferry sank just before midnight Friday, but rescuers did not arrive until the morning." It is still unclear what caused the ferry to sink, but a current theory states that it tipped to one side as a stampede occurred on board as the ferry approached dock. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan told news agencies that "Officials had locked the ferry's exit gate as it approached the shore to find out whether anyone was travelling without a ticket. This triggered a stampede, causing the boat to tip."

The 2009 Kishoreganj motorboat capsize  occurred on Friday, 4 December 2009 on the Daira river located in Mithamain Upazila, Kishoreganj District in Bangladesh. A passenger ferry collided head-on with a launch. At least 47 people were killed. The accident occurred in the morning when the river was covered by fog.

Sunamganj Boat Accident occured on June 8,2010. At least 12 people, including 10 children, drowned and scores more were missing after a packed ferry sank.

At least 37 people—all women and children—are known to have drowned after a ferry collided with a sand-laden cargo vessel and sank in north-eastern Bangladesh on December 19,2010. The country’s latest ferry disaster occurred on the Surma River in the Sunamganj district, about 175 kilometres from the capital, Dhaka.
At least 32 people died on April 21, 2011 when an overcrowded ferry capsized after it struck a shipwreck in . Meghna River. One hundred of the 150 people on board were able to swim to shore from the double-deck ferry, and scores remain missing.

Twelve people were killed  10 July,2010 when a ferry sank on the Sitalakhya River in Bangladesh, reports MSN News. More than 20 people are still reported missing.  The 'Madinar Alo' was en route from the suburban port city of Narayanganj to central Chandpur district when it collided with an oil tanker and sank. According to local newspaper The Daily Star, an estimated 200 people were on board when it sank, despite the vessel only having approval to carry 50 passengers.