Nine relatives including women and children of Shibchar upazila in Madaripur district were killed in road accident when they were going to bride's house at Amtali upazila in Barguna district on Saturday (June 22).
Of the deceased, seven are the family members of former army man Mahbubur Rahman Sabuj. As the news of the accident has reached Char Bhadrasan under Shibchar upazila, the inhabitants of the entire village have become grief-stricken. Relatives and neighbours have started crowding Sabuj's home.
The accident happened when a microbus carrying the bride's relatives fell into a canal following the collapse of an iron-made bridge on Chaora-Haldia Canal under Amtali upazila in Barguna district early Saturday afternoon. Following the accident, bodies of nine people including women and children were recovered. Former member of the Bangladesh Army Mahbubur Rahman Sabuj of Shibchar of Madaripur district was also killed.
Locals said Mahbub and his family members left Shibchar for Amtali in Barguna on Wednesday (June 19) morning to attend his maternal cousin's wedding ceremony. The bridegroom and his family members came on Friday and left the place with the bride. On early Saturday afternoon, they were going to attend 'bou bhat' (feat at bridegrrom's home) by a microbus. When the microbus carrying Mahbub and his family members was crossing the dilapidated iron-made bridge in Haldia union of Amtali upazila, it suddenly collapsed and fell into a canal.
Villagers throng at former army personnel Mahbub's home at Char Bhadrasan under Shibchar upazila in madaripur district after hearing about the accident at Amtali in Barguna on Saturday afternoon
Bodies of nine victims were recovered. They were Mahbub's brother Sohel's wife Raiti, 30, Mahbub's mother Farida Begum, 80, aunt Munni Begum, 40, her daughters Tahia, 7, and Tasdia, 11, another aunt Fatema Begum, 40 and Rumi Begum, 40.
Besides, the bodies of Jahirul Islam's wife Zakia and daughter Ridi, 5, of village Dakkhin Taktabunia under Amtoli upazila were recovered.
Shukkur Ali, a youth who is a relative of the deceased, said they went to Barguna on Wednesday to attend a wedding ceremony. A microbus carrying them fell into a canal after the collapse of a bridge there early Saturday afternoon. Seven members including Mahbub's mother, brother's wife and his uncle's family have been killed.
Another person, named Dulal Matbar, said, "The entire village has become grief-stricken. A total of nine members of two families have been killed. Receiving information, we have arrived at Mahbub's home. None of Mahbub's family members is at home. All of them went to attend the wedding ceremony. None is at home now."
