A tragic accident occurred in Narayanganj's Sonargaon upazila, when a speeding covered van collided with a battery-operated auto-rickshaw, killing its driver on Thursday.
The accident took place near Sonargaon Police Station on Thursday evening around 7 PM.
Nitai Barman, a resident of Shatvaiyapara village in Baidyer Bazar, was son of Umesh Barman.
Eyewitnesses reported that the covered van, traveling at high speed from Baidyer Bazar towards Mograpara, struck the oncoming auto-rickshaw near the police station. The impact crushed the auto-rickshaw, leaving Nitai dead at the scene. Fortunately, no passengers were in the auto-rickshaw at the time.
Locals quickly apprehended the van driver and handed him over to the police. Law enforcers seized the vehicle and recovered the body, later handing it over to Nitai's family.
A case has been filed at Sonargaon Police Station.
In response to the incident, local protesters, led by Shakil Saifullah, coordinator of The Student movement, announced an indefinite halt to the movement of company-owned trucks and covered vans on the Baidyer Bazar-Chourasta road. Shakil criticized the reckless operation of heavy vehicles on this busy road, despite restrictions set by the Sonargaon Upazila administration.
"Continuous violations by overloaded vehicles have damaged the roads and caused frequent accidents, claiming innocent lives. This tragic loss of Nitai Barman is the final straw. We demand immediate action to regulate traffic and ensure public safety," said Shakil Saifullah.
Sonargaon Police Station officer-in-charge Md. Abdul Bari confirmed the incident, stating that the driver is in custody and further legal action is underway.
