Five children drowned in a dead river channel, a branch of the Padma River, in Char Chakla village under Debinagar Union of Chapainawabganj Sadar Upazila at around 1pm on Friday.
The victims were Sumaiya, 10, and Ariba, 8, daughters of Masud; Sumaiya, 10, and Suraiya, 8, daughters of Nezam Uddin; and Sharifa, 8, daughter of Shariful. All were residents of Char Chakla village.
Local resident Omar Ali said the children went together to bathe or play in the river after Friday prayers. When one child began drowning, the others attempted to rescue her, he said.
“One by one, all five children drowned,” Omar Ali said, adding that local residents later recovered them.
Mujibur Rahman, a member of Ward No. 3 of Debinagar Union Parishad, said five children died after drowning in the river at noon.
“None of them knew how to swim,” Mujibur Rahman said, adding that this was believed to have caused the tragedy.
Chapainawabganj Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ekramul Hossain said police visited the site after receiving information about the deaths.
“The naval police have been informed and are on their way to the scene,” Ekramul Hossain said. “The naval police will take legal action.”