Now, university student ‘pushed off’ to death from running bus

The deceased, Wasim Afnan, a 4th-year student of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering department of Sylhet Agricultural University. Photo: Collected
The deceased, Wasim Afnan, a 4th-year student of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering department of Sylhet Agricultural University. Photo: Collected

A student of Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) was crushed to death on Sylhet-Mymenshingh Highway in Moulvibazar after he was allegedly pushed off a running bus on Saturday evening, reports UNB.

The deceased was Wasim Afnan, a fourth-year student of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering department of Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) and son of M Abu Zahed Mahbub and Mina Parvin of Rudra village in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj.

According to witnesses and the victim's friends, a total of 11 students of the university boarded a Sylhet-bound bus of 'Udar Paribahan' coming from Mymensingh at the Toll Plaza in Habiganj after attending a wedding ceremony.

They decided to get down from the bus at Sherpur. At that time, a brawl broke out with the bus driver's assistant over fare and it was later settled, said SAU student Shiplu Roy.

As Wasim was the last man to come down of the vehicle, the assistant of bus driver pushed him out of the vehicle and the driver soon sped away. Under the impact of the push, the university student went beneath the wheels and was eventually run over by the bus, he said.

Wounded critically, Wasim was sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital where the physicians declared him dead, said sub-inspector Faruque Ahmed of the hospital police camp.

Sub-inspector Quamrul Islam of Sherpur highway police said the accident happened as the bus driver's assistant closed the bus door before the student got down from it.

Police seized the bus from Begumganj of Osmaningar upazila of Sylhet but its staff and driver managed to flee, he said.

Meanwhile, students of the university took to the streets and started staging demonstrations at the Sylhet bus terminal in South Surma protesting at the death of their fellow.

Wasim was killed in the road crash amid the ongoing student protests for safe roads restarted recently after the death of Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury, a Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) student.

The students first took to the streets in 2018 for safe roads after a bus of Jebel-e-Noor Paribahan ran over and killed two college students.