2 minor cousins drown in Nilphamari

Two minor cousins drowned in a river near their home in Battala village of Khutamara Union under Jaldhaka upazila on Thursday afternoon.

The deceased were identified as Hasan Ali, 10, son of Atiar Rahman, and Masum, 8, son of Hridoy Hossain — both residents of Battala village.

Quoting locals, Arju Mohammad Sajjad, officer-in-charge of Jaldhaka Police Station, said the two boys had gone to bathe in the Charalkata River near their house. When they did not return for a long time, family members began searching for them.

Failing to locate the children, they informed the fire service. A diving team was dispatched, and after an extensive search, the bodies of the two boys were recovered from the river.

The tragic incident has cast a pall of mourning over the entire area.