A chronology of major ferry accidents that have killed thousands of people in Bangladesh since 1996.

　　1996

　　January 1 - About 50 people drown when a small ferry carrying 75 passengers capsizes in the river Meghna in southern Bhola after it was hit by an oil tanker.

　　June 14 - At least 50 people drown after a ferry carrying 250 passengers capsizes in the Dhanu River northeast of Dhaka.

　　June 23 - Nearly 50 people drown after a ferry carrying about 200 passengers sinks in the Jamuna River.

　　June 28 - Scores of people are drowned after a ferry with at least 150 people on board capsizes near Sandwip island in the Bay of Bengal during a rainstorm.

　　July 22 - Five people drown and at least 50 others are missing after a ferry with more than 100 passengers sinks in the Jamuna River.

　　August 5 - At least 15 people drown when a boat with 40 passengers capsizes in the Meghna River near Narsingdi, 60km (40 miles) from Dhaka.

　　1998

　　January 22 - Thirteen people drown after a ferry, hit by a small freighter, sinks on the Kacha River in Bangladesh's coastal district of Pirojepur.

　　March 14 - Twenty people are killed and at least 30 others are reported missing after two ferry boats with a total of 250 passengers sink during a tropical storm in southwestern Satkhira district, 350km (220 miles) from Dhaka.

　　September 30 - At least 13 people drown after an overloaded boat with 150 passengers capsizes in the Mogra River.

　　1999

　　April 17 - At least seven people drown and 25 others are reported missing after a ferry carrying 200 people capsizes in the Dhanu River.

　　May 8 - The "Dwipkanya", a ferry carrying some 400 passengers, sinks in a whirlpool during a storm near Lakhsmipur, 175km (110 miles) from Dhaka. Between 100 and 300 are believed drowned.

　　August 5 - At least 20 people drown after a ferry sinks in the Sitalakya River near Dhaka after a collision with a small freighter.

　　December 11 - Sixty-three people drown and scores are missing after a ferry with about 200 passengers sinks in the Meghna River. Some 100 people swim ashore.

　　December 17 - At least 15 people drown and scores are missing after a ferry carrying about 250 passengers capsizes on the Buriganga River near Dhaka.

　　2000

　　May 1 - At least 96 people drown after two ferries, each carrying 150 passengers, caught in a storm capsize in the Meghna River.

　　December 29 - At least 158 people drown after a ferry carrying 400 passengers sinks in the Meghna River.

　　2001

　　November 29 - Nearly 100 drown after a ferry carrying 130 passengers sinks in the Tetulia River.

　　2002

　　May 3 - At least 450 passengers drown when the ferry "Salahuddin-2" with about 500 on board sinks in the Meghna River.

　　May 23 - More than 60 people drown after the river ferry "Suraha" sinks during a storm in southern Bangladesh.

　　2003

　　April 4 - At least 62 passengers drown and many others are missing after a ferry sinks in the Surma River in northeastern Bangladesh.

　　April 12 - At least 21 people drown when a ferry capsizes on the Nakchini River at Kishoreganj, 150km northeast of Dhaka.

　　April 21 - Nearly 200 drown when two ferries sink in theBuriganga and Meghna rivers during a fierce storm.

　　July 8 - More than 400 people are feared drowned after a ferry sinks in a river swollen by monsoonal rains in southeastern Bangladesh.