Over 50 people, mostly children, drown every day in Bangladesh

More than 51 people die from drowning each day in Bangladesh and over 75 per cent of them are children, a survey by National Health and Injury Survey Bangladesh finds.

Earlier this month in Shantinagar field of BhaduGhar, Brahmanbaria, a heavy silence loomed in the evening, as locals were frantically searching for two young siblings who had gone out at noon to pick water lilies but never returned. The next morning, the lifeless bodies of Hossain (11) and Jinnat (8) were found floating in a pond near their home. This tragic incident reflects the grim everyday reality across Bangladesh. Whether during a joyous water lily hunt or in the festive excitement of Eid, a moment’s carelessness and an unguarded water body often claim the lives of children.

In South Kaichail village of Nagarkanda, Faridpur, Italy-expatriate Sumon Mollah's family had come to enjoy Eid. But tragedy struck when two sisters — Najiba (5) and Nafija (3) — drowned unnoticed while playing near a pond beside the house.

A similar survey was last conducted in 2016, which found around 53 people dying daily from drowning. Although the current data shows a slight decline in child deaths, the rate still remains the second highest in South Asia.

While the government has some projects aimed at preventing child drowning deaths, their scale remains limited. Experts warn that drowning is a silent killer and deserves far more focused intervention.

The survey was conducted between May 2023 and February 2024, though the government has yet to release it officially. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) provided support for this study, which gathered data from 111,000 households and a population of 442,998 individuals.

The study was led by Selim Mahmud Chowdhury, director of the Center for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh (CIPRB), with technical and financial assistance from the Directorate General of Health Services. He told Prothom Alo that drowning deaths in Bangladesh are the second highest in South Asia, with children as the main victims. While some preventive efforts are underway, he emphasised the need for significantly broader coverage.

The 2024 survey highlighted the rates of injury-related deaths and injuries in Bangladesh. For every 100,000 people, about 60 die from injury-related causes. The three main causes are: road accidents (15 per cent), suicide (12.42 per cent), and drowning (11 per cent).

Beyond deaths, 10,040 out of every 100,000 people suffer some form of injury each year.

Each year, approximately 18,665 people die from drowning in Bangladesh, according to the study. Of them, 14,269 are children, meaning more than 75 per cent of drowning victims are underage. Children aged 1 to 4 are the most at risk, with a drowning mortality rate of 77.92 per 100,000, compared to the national average of 11.6.

The study revealed that 70 per cent of drowning deaths occur in ponds near homes. Other locations include: rivers (12 per cent), canals, wetlands and haors (6 per cent), buckets (4 per cent), ditches (4 per cent), and wells and the sea (remaining).

So, the threat is not deep rivers or oceans, but small ponds that are often play areas for children or spots for household chores.

Although children account for most drowning deaths, adults aged 60 or older are also vulnerable, with a drowning death rate of 17.9 per 100,000. Many accidents happen while walking, fishing, or due to fall. Around 4,396 adults die from drowning each year, most of them from rural areas.

Compared to the 2016 survey, drowning deaths have declined slightly, but Bangladesh still has the second-highest rate in South Asia. Under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Bangladesh Shishu Academy is implementing a program to prevent child drowning. It includes daycare centers for children aged 1–5 and swimming lessons for children aged 6–10.

This program is active in 45 upazilas across 16 districts. In 2023, it trained 115,000 children, with over 240,000 expected to be trained this year.
Tariqul Islam Chowdhury, project director at the Shishu Academy, told Prothom Alo that child drowning deaths have decreased in areas where the program is active. He stressed that most child victims are aged 2 to 5, and supervision, not just swimming skills, is critical. Most deaths occur between morning and noon, when parents are often busy and unable to keep watch.

Disaster expert Gawhar Nayeem Wara said the current interventions are insufficient. Although daycare centers are a step forward, they fall short of the actual need and lack community engagement.

He pointed to Kerala’s Anganwadi model in India, where 30 mothers in a locality take turns to supervise children aged 8 months to 5 years, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. This not only provides child supervision but also builds emotional bonds between caregivers and children. He cited it as a strong example of civic participation that could inspire similar community-based approaches in Bangladesh.