Rangpur, June 10 -- At least 12 people, including eight children, have drowned in ponds, rivers and waterlogged areas in Rangpur district over the past 10 days, once again highlighting one of Bangladesh's deadliest yet often overlooked public health crises.

The alarming series of incidents comes just as the monsoon season approaches, when rising water levels and widespread flooding typically increase the risk of drowning, particularly among children in rural areas.

The highest number of child drowning deaths was reported in Pirgachha upazila where six children lost their lives within just three days.

According to local authorities, a five-year-old child drowned in a water body in Chowra Masua Para of Kalyani Union in Pirgachha on Satur...