Four passengers were killed and at least fifteen others injured when two passenger launches collided in dense fog on the Meghna River near Chandpur’s Haimchar area early Thursday, December 25. The accident occurred around 2 a.m. near Banglabazar in Nilkomol Union, involving the Bhola-to-Dhaka bound MV Zakir Samrat-3 and the Dhaka-to-Barishal bound MV Adventure-9. Witnesses said heavy fog blanketed the river, causing the Adventure-9 to lose direction and crash into the Zakir Samrat-3, which was severely damaged and left partially submerged. Another vessel, MV Karnaphuli-9, rescued many passengers and continued toward Dhaka. Chandpur River Police Assistant Superintendent Imtiaz Ahmed confirmed four fatalities, all passengers of the Zakir Samrat-3. Police later seized the Adventure-9 when it reached Jhalakathi via Barishal. The Chandpur River Police Officer-in-Charge said both launches left the scene before authorities arrived. BIWTA officials suggested dense fog was the likely cause of the collision. A government naval adviser was expected to inspect the damaged launch at Sadarghat following the incident, as authorities began investigating the cause and safety lapses.