The bodies of two children were recovered from the septic tank of an under-construction building in the Chhagalnaiya area of Feni on Friday night.
According to police, the tragic discovery was made around 11:00 PM at a construction site on Sat Mandir Road in the West Chhagalnaiya area of the municipality.
The deceased were identified as Sakhawat Hossain Lihan, 8, son of Dubai expatriate Shamsul Haque from Durgapur village under Ghupal Union, and Faysal Farabi, 9, son of Qatar expatriate Iqbal Hossain from East Shilua village under Pathannagar Union. Both families were residing in a rented house in the Sheikh Bhaban area of Chhagalnaiya Municipality’s Ward No. 5.
Lihan was a second-grade student at Chhagalnaiya Model Government Primary School, while Farabi studied in the fourth grade at Imperial School.
Family members reported that the two children went out to play in the afternoon but did not return home by evening. As concern grew, relatives and locals began searching the surrounding areas.
Later that night, a local youth noticed a pair of shoes near the open mouth of the building’s septic tank. Upon shining a light inside the water-filled tank, he discovered the bodies of the two children.
Police and fire service teams were immediately called to the scene, and with their assistance, the bodies were recovered around 11:00 PM and taken to Chhagalnaiya Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead.
Locals alleged that the accident occurred due to negligence by the building owner, as the septic tank was left uncovered. They claimed the tragedy could have been avoided if the tank lid had been secured.
Chhagalnaiya Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Nazrul Islam stated that no injury marks were found on the bodies during the preliminary inquest. It is initially believed that the children accidentally fell into the tank while playing.
The bodies have been sent to Feni 250-Bed General Hospital for autopsy. The police have confirmed that further legal proceedings regarding the incident are underway.
