Rana Plaza tragedy survivor Nasima dies after bus capsizes in Padma river

Nasima Begum, a 12-year-old survivor of the Rana Plaza tragedy, died after a bus capsized in the Padma river at Daulatdia ferry pier. She and two of her relatives died on their way back to Dhaka after spending the Eid holidays. Nasima Begum is the wife of the late Noor Islam of Madhya Atrai village in Palashbari Union No. 4 of Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur district.
Nasima is a familiar name among the survivors of the 2013 Rana Plaza tragedy. She was rescued alive from the rubble three days after the incident. Despite the help of luck, her life ended prematurely when the bus capsized at Daulatdia ferry pier.
It is learnt that Nasima had gone to her niece Ajmira Khatun’s house in Savar, Dhaka on February 19 in search of livelihood. She could not get a job despite trying for a month. Later, on Eid, she went to Ajmira’s in-laws’ house in Faridpur. On Wednesday (March 25) afternoon, Nasima, her pregnant niece Ajmira Khatun, her niece’s husband Abdul Aziz Azad and four-year-old child Abdur Rahman left for Dhaka by bus. The bus fell into the Padma River in the Daulatdia-Paturia ferry ghat area of ​​Rajbari. They all drowned in the accident. Abdul Aziz was rescued alive shortly after the drowning, but rescuers recovered the bodies of Nasima and the other three about six hours later at around 11:30 pm. Nasima’s cousin Zulfiqar Ali said that Nasima was working there at the time of the Rana Plaza accident. After being trapped under the rubble of the building for three days, she was miraculously rescued alive. Since then, Nasima has been living in her village house. However, after her husband’s death, she returned to Dhaka in search of a livelihood. She died on the way back. Parbatipur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Saddam Hossain said the Deputy Commissioner went to Nasima’s house and gave her Tk 25,000 in cash.