Dhaka, March 26 -- Abdul Aziz clung to the pontoon at Daulatdia, trembling, as he recounted the moments his wife and child were swept into the river. One of the few who managed to escape the sinking bus, Aziz sat on the pontoon, panic etched across his face: "What will happen to me now? How will I survive?"

Moments before sunset on Wednesday, the Dhaka-bound Showhardo Paribahan bus he had boarded from Kushtia lost control on the ferry pontoon and plunged into the turbulent waters.

More than 40 passengers were aboard, most trapped inside the submerged vehicle. Only a handful, including Aziz, managed to swim to safety.

The terminal, once bustling with returning holidayers, was filled with screams. What should have been a routine return f...