Army puts stranded DU students on a bus headed home

A group of 21 students of Dhaka University on a tourist visit to Sylhet is finally heading home (Dhaka) on a coaster bus of the Bangladesh army, reports UNB.

The students were left stranded when the flood situation in Sylhet deteriorated rapidly starting Thursday.

Talking to UNB, one of the students, Shoaib Ahmed said: “We all are safe now and heading toward Dhaka via army coaster.”

“If everything goes well, we will be in the campus by 12:00 am tonight,” he added, meaning their arrival should be imminent.

More than one hundred students from various educational institutions, including 38 of Dhaka University, have been rescued by Bangladesh Army from a flood-hit area of Sunamganj today morning (Sunday).

Of the group, 19 are students of the Mass Communication and Journalism department.

Chairman of MCJ department Professor Abul Mansoor Ahmed said, “As soon as I came to know about the students who were trapped last night, I informed the matter to the respective administration and rescue team commanders (Army ISPR Zahid Malek, Rescue Commander of Sunamganj Cantonment Brigadier General Sookat, Superintendent of Police (SP) Md. Mizanur Rahman) and requested them to rescue students as soon as possible. They sent an army team there this morning and took the students to Sylhet Cantonment.”

“They are on their way to Dhaka and all are safe and healthy,” he added.

Earlier, at around 2:00 pm yesterday (Saturday), more than 100 students, including 38 students from Dhaka University and more than 50 students from other universities, left for Sylhet city in a launch named ‘Kopotaksh Anirban Tourism Boat’. But when the engine of the launch broke down around 8.30 pm, the Launch got stuck with an isle on the bank of Surma river near Doarabazar in Sunamganj.

The students were trapped in a local eatery named ‘Panshi’ at the flood-hit Sunamganj . They were on a trip to Tanguar Haour starting 16 June.

Later, on the initiative of Sunamganj district administration, they were rescued from Pansi restaurant and taken to the district police lines on Friday afternoon.