The rescuers yet to reach the detected metallic object, which looks similar to capsized launch Pinak-6 under the water of the Padma River near Mawa Ghat at Lauhajang upazila in Munshiganj.They were trying to reach the metallic object till filing the report at about 10:00pm on Sunday with the use of an anchor of the rescue ship, but they could not do it due to strong current in the turbulent river. The metallic object was detected through side scanner sonar of ‘Kandari-2’ on Saturday. It is roughly the length of the sunken launch that went down on August 4 with over 250 people on board. Meanwhile, the rescue vessels ‘Rustom’ and ‘Nirbhik’ and the operation work of other forces, including Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Fire Service, Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard, were withdrawn from yesterday, as only the ‘Kandari-2’ and the ‘Jorip-10’ will continue the search operation to confirm whether the detected metallic object is the Pinak-6 or not.Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Munshiganj Saiful Hasan at a press briefing at Padma Rest House at Mawa Ghat on Sunday noon made the announcement. He told the reporters that only the two ships would continue the search operation.He said that Padma’s current was flowing at a speed of up to six nautical miles but divers can usually operate in currents flowing between 1-1.5 nautical miles. It is not possible for them to work in the current situation, the DC said. They will be able to resume work once the current weakens.The ‘Rustom’ and ‘Nirbhik’ were withdrawn from the operation, the two salvage vessels were kept ready at Mawa Ghat for conducting rescue operation once the sunken launch is detected, said Manzurul Karim Chowdhury, a captain of Bangladesh Navy and in-charge of ‘Kandari-2’. He also said that the divers were trying to identify the underwater metallic object, but the search operation was being hampered due to strong current in the Padma River. Once it is possible to anchor the metallic object, the rescue ships will try to pull it to the shore. However, divers will continue to look for bodies, he added.The relatives of the missing passengers of Pinak-6 expressed annoyance over the decision of withdrawal of the rescue ships. They demanded an increase in the rescue operation. They said that when a large number of passengers of the launch is still missing, at the time the decision of suspending the operation of different forces is unexpected. Meanwhile, the number of relatives of the missing passengers is gradually increasing on the bank of the river Padma at Mawa point following detection of the metallic objective similar to that of the sunken ship on Saturday. This has heightened the expectation of the relatives of getting at least the bodies of their near and dear ones. At total of 46 bodies have so far been recovered after the launch capsized in the mighty river. According to a list of District Administration, at least 122 passengers of the ill-fated launch are still missing.
