11 more lives lost on roads
At least 11 people were killed and more than 60 others injured in separate road accidents in eight different districts yesterday, amid dozens of measures being taken by the authorities to ensure road safety following the recent students' movement for safe roads.
In Brahmanbaria, a bus plunged into a roadside waterbody in Sarail upazila killing three people, including a seven-month-old baby, and injuring 20 others.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Of the injured, 15 were admitted to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital, with six in critical condition.
Hossain Sarkar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sarail Bishwa Road Highway Police Station, said the accident occurred when the driver of a Moulvibazar-bound Ena Paribahan bus from Dhaka lost control of his vehicle and it turned turtle and fell into a water body on the right side of the highway in Boishamura area.
Saiful Islam, an injured passenger of the bus, told The Daily Star that the bus driver began driving recklessly after he crossed Dhaka city and reached the Dhaka-Sylhet highway.
“At least eight to 10 passengers requested him to drive carefully, but he didn't pay any heed and overtook other vehicles at almost every crossing point,” said Saiful, whose mother and three brothers were also injured and were being treated at the hospital.
The driver lost control when trying to ply on the wrong side of the highway, he said.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Sarail Police Station's Sub-inspector AB Siddik, quoting passengers, said, “The driver's reckless driving led to the tragic accident even though there were no vehicles ahead of or beside the bus.”
The dead were identified as the seven-month-old son of Omar Faruk, Yasin, from Gopalpur village in Moulvibazar; Rubina Noor, 55; and her daughter Samina Noor, 28, from Yousufpur village in Sreemangal.
Yasin's mother Rehana Akter was admitted to hospital in critical condition.
Police seized the bus and filed an unnatural death case, while the driver and helper of the bus managed to flee.
In Cox's Bazar, two Chhatra League leaders were killed in an accident at Chakoria on the Cox's Bazar-Chittagong highway when an Awami League leader's Pajero jeep hit the motorcycle they were on yesterday.
One of the victims, Pavel Hossain Sabuj, 18, son of Jan-e-Alam of Digarpan Khali area and general secretary of Ward-9 Chhatra League died on the spot, while the other, Nabiul Arafat, 17, vice president of Ward-9 Chhatra League, was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital with critical injuries. He was declared dead at 9:45pm.
The accident occurred at Sagir Shah Kata at Dulahazara of Chakoria municipality at around 12:30pm, police said.
Inspector Md Alamgir Hossain of Malumghata Highway Police Outpost at Dulahazara said the Pajero, belonging to Cox's Bazar District Council Chairman and Chakoria municipal unit Awami League President Zahedul Islam Litu, collided head-on with the motorcycle which was coming from the opposite direction.
Police seized both vehicles and took them to the highway police outpost.
In Mymensingh, at least two, including a child, were killed and four others injured in a road accident at Rupchandrapur area in Tarakanda upazila.
The victims were identified as Abid Hossain, 5, and Azizur Rahman, 22, from Haluaghat upazila of the district.
The accident occurred when a Mymensingh-bound CNG-run auto-rickshaw from Haluaghat collided head-on with a truck at around 12:15pm, killing the child on the spot, said Mahbubul Haque, OC of Tarakanda Police Station.
The injured were rushed to the Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where Azizur died.
Police have seized the truck but its driver managed to flee.
In Faridpur, a college student was killed in a road accident on the Dhaka-Barisal highway at Moshaujan Bus stand area under Nagarkanda upazila.
The dead -- Monira Akter, 18 -- was a grade 12 student of Monohorpur MA Sukur Women's College.
Quoting locals, Sheikh Mafujur Rahman, OC of Bhanga Highway Police Station, said a Sheba Green Line Paribahan bus ran over Monira and she died on the spot.
Locals blocked the highway for an hour after the accident.
In Sirajganj, a man was killed and three others injured as a speeding bus, on its way to Bogra, collided head-on with a truck at the Koddar Mor point near the Bangabandhu Bridge early yesterday, police said.
The dead -- Shahadat Hossain, 45 -- of Sirajganj Sadar upazila, was a passenger of the bus.
Sayed Shahid Alam, OC of Bangabandhu Bridge West Zone Police Station, said Shahadat died on the spot while the injured were taken to Sirajganj General Hospital.
The accident trigged traffic congestion that lasted for hours, he said.
In Dinajpur, at least 20 were injured as a passenger bus suddenly turned over on the Dinajpur-Rangpur highway in Chirirbandar upazila.
The injured were sent to different hospitals in Rangpur and Dinajpur.
Abdul Maleque, OC of Doshmile Highway Police Station, said the bus was heading to Rangpur from Dinajpur and suddenly turned over on the highway and fell into a waterbody at Champatoli village in the upazila at around 4:30pm.
In Narsinghdi, two people were killed as a bus hit a motorcycle on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Baraitala area of Shibpur upazila in the district, reports UNB.
The dead were identified as Mehedi, 22, son of Alauddin; and Noman, 24, son of Kafil Uddin, both from Khalispur village in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur.
OC of Shibpur Highway Police Hafizur Rahman said the Sylhet-bound Ena Paribahan bus of hit the motorcycle at around 10:00am, killing Mehedi on the spot. Noman died when he was taken to Narsinghdi Hospital.
Police seized the bus from Bhairab but its driver managed to flee.
In Gazipur, at least 20 were injured as a Mymensingh-bound passenger bus turned over after its driver lost control of the wheels at Jainabazar area in Sreepur Upazila on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, police said.
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