Road crashes claim at least 13 in a day

At least 13 people, including a police sub-inspector (SI), a child, a mother and her son, and a bus helper, were killed in separate road accidents across six districts on Friday, exposing once again the deadly consequences of road safety failures in the country.  Dozens of others were injured, several seriously, according to police and other official sources.

The fatal crashes, involving buses, trucks, an ambulance, a private car, an auto-rickshaw and a covered van, were reported in Natore, Khagrachhari, Madaripur, Faridpur, Cox’s Bazar and Gazipur. The incidents claimed lives on major highways and local roads, leaving families bereaved and raising renewed concerns about road safety and the protection of road users.

In Natore’s Baraigram Upazila, Mithun Ali, 40, a bus helper, was killed in a head-on collision between two buses on Bonpara-Hatikumrul highway in the evening. At least 20 passengers were injured, eight of them seriously.

SI Md Alomgir Hossain of Bonpara Highway Police Station said a Dhaka-bound Desh Travels bus coming from Rajshahi collided with a Rajshahi-bound Tabassum Special bus near Thana Mor. Mithun died on the spot. Critically injured passengers were taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

In Khagrachhari’s Panchhari Upazila, 11-year-old Tania Akter died after a CNG-run auto-rickshaw crashed in Principal Para of Latiban Union in the morning. The vehicle was overtaking another auto-rickshaw when its front wheel came off, causing the accident.

Tania and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Naib Subedar Md Abdur Razzak were seriously injured. They were taken to Panchhari Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared Tania dead.

In Madaripur, hotel businessman Selim Howlader was killed when his private car struck a police recovery vehicle parked on the Dhaka-Barishal highway at Tantibari. The accident occurred around 3:30am.

Selim, owner of Hotel Metro, was returning to Madaripur town from Bhurghata when he lost control of his car and hit the police vehicle. He was taken to Madaripur 250-bed District Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Faridpur recorded five deaths in two separate accidents on the Dhaka-Khulna highway.

Around 3:45pm, a sand-laden truck overturned at Tetultala in Kanaipur Union, crushing an easy-bike and a private car. Sumi Akter, 32, and her seven-year-old son, Shawon, who were travelling in the easy-bike, died after becoming trapped beneath the truck and its load of sand. They were residents of Mohammadpur Upazila in Magura District.

Eight people travelling in the easy-bike and the private car were injured, according to locals. They were taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Earlier, at around 2:30pm, three passengers were killed and four others injured when an ambulance collided head-on with a local King Fisher bus at Arkandi in Madhukhali Upazila. The ambulance was heading towards Magura, while the bus was coming from Magura. The identities of those killed were not immediately available.

In Cox’s Bazar’s Chakaria Upazila, two pickup van passengers were killed in a head-on collision with a Shyamoli NR Paribahan bus on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway. The accident occurred at around 12:30am on Friday at Nayapara Sabuj Pahar in Khutakhali Union.

The deceased were identified as Abdullah, 27, of Teknaf and Md Yasin, 30, of Chakaria. Both were travelling in a vegetable-laden pickup van. They were rescued and taken to Chakaria Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead.

In Gazipur’s Kaliganj Upazila, a police SI and a local resident were killed after a covered van struck a police team conducting a search in front of Kaliganj Government Labour College in the early hours of Friday.

The deceased were identified as SI Mizanur Rahman, 30, and Rafique Molla, 45. SI Jabed Omar, 28, and driver Rabbi, 28, were injured.

Inspector (Investigation) Ashraful Islam of Kaliganj Police Station said the team, led by Mizanur, was searching several suspected individuals in the Tumulia area when a covered van heading towards Ghorashal struck them. Rafique was declared dead at Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex. Mizanur and Jabed were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where Mizanur later died.

Police and fire service personnel conducted rescue operations at the accident sites. Authorities said legal action was being taken in the respective cases.

The deaths across six districts underscore the continuing human cost of road crashes, with children, families, transport workers and law enforcement personnel among the victims. While investigations may establish the circumstances of individual accidents, preventing further tragedies requires sustained attention to road safety, vehicle fitness, enforcement of traffic laws and the protection of people travelling on the country’s roads.