Dhaka: Becky Horsbrugh, a British television journalist, read a lot of articles about Bangladesh and found that a total of 50 children died every day in the country through drowning. She became astonished to find the figure because in the UK it is only 15 in a year.

Becky, who is also a swimming instructor, decided to cross the Bangla Channel to raise funds and awareness of the issue of child drowning.

The journalists will cross the 16-kilometre Bangla Channel along with three Bangladeshis to raise funds for the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB), she said during a press brief organised by Dhaka Reporters Unit at Shagor-Runi Auditorium in Dhaka at about 11:45am on Thursday. Musa Ibrahim, the first Bangladeshi mountaineer to reach the summit of Mount Everest, CIPRB’s Dr Jahangir, International News Agency Associate Press (AP) Bangladesh Bureau Chief Julhas Alam, and Belly Group Managing Director Mohammad Wahiduzzaman were also present during the press conference.

Dr Jahangir said every year a number of 18,000 people died of drowning. Most of them aged from 1 to 17. He said, Barisal is the most vulnerable region on this aspect. A number of around three and a half thousands people died here of sinking every year. We have provided swimming lessons to 5 lakh children from 2003 to till date.

Mohammad Wahiduzzaman said we never knew that a lot of children died of drowning in Bangladesh. After knowing about the issue, as an entrepreneur I came forward to raise awareness on this issue.  

Even though, Becky has a record of crossing 9 kilometres, the non-professional swimmer will swim the Bangla Channel in the Bay of Bengal, a 16km (10 mile) sea route from Teknaf to the Saint Martin’s Island, on 29 January.

Musa Ibrahim will provide technical support while CIPRB will sponsor the event for Becky. She will cross the channel in freestyle swimming.

Two escort boats will be on the sea route for Becky’s association. Musa Ibrahim said, ‘Sometimes swimmers go to the wrong route and swim towards deep sea or cross the Myanmar border. The guide boards will show her the direction. Moreover, two other difficulties generally face by the swimmer in sea are Jelly fish and salty water. Another boat will carry a physiotherapist to provide medical facilities to the swimmer.’

Becky said the event will be a perfect opportunity for combining her two aims—to introduce Bangla Channel to the British people and to display Bangladesh as a ‘sports lover’ country in front of the world.

Musa Ibrahim, while responding a question asked if government took any step to reduce child deaths through drowning, said Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid mentioned the school children will receive swimming lessons. Though the minister’s promise was not kept, around one and half thousand children receive swimming lessons for free at Uttara and Agargaon from April to November.

Becky wants to cross the Bangla channel successfully and work to reduce the child death rate.