Four people died after a boat capsized in the Boulai river in Sunamganj's Jamalganj upazila last night.

The deceased were identified as Beauty Chakraborty, 45, Kalpana Sarkar, 45, her daughter Rudra Sarkar, 6, and Ganga Sarkar, 5, police said.

Another child, Sourav, 10, was critically injured and has been sent to the hospital for treatment.

Saiful Islam, officer-in-charge of Jamalganj Police Station, said, "The accident site is about two hours away from the station. Initially, local sources reported five deaths, but after reaching the spot, we confirmed that four people died."

Joynal Abedin Sarkar, in-charge of the Lalpur River Police Outpost in Jamalganj, said the overloaded boat sank in the river around 10:30pm while traveling to Jamalganj from Madhyanagar.

Debashish Talukdar, a local union parishad member, said Saturday was the weekly market day in Madhyanagar upazila. After shopping, around 50 to 60 passengers were returning home on an engine boat loaded with goods when it capsized in the Boulai river near Noapara.

"Most passengers managed to swim to safety, but two women and three children drowned," he added.