12 more killed in a single day as country reels from growing road fatalities

Road Accident
Road Accident

Twelve people, including six members of a family, were killed in road accidents in five districts on Sunday as the country reels from growing road fatalities since Eid-ul-Azha.

Of them, eight were killed in a single incident in Cumilla district.

A bus crashed into an auto-rickshaw on Cumilla-Noakhali regional highway at Jamtola in Lalmai upazila of Cumilla at noon, killing at least eight people, including six members of a family.

The deceased were identified as Jashim Uddin, 47, a hotel owner, his mother Sakhina Begum, 70, wife Selina Begum, 42, two sons—Shipon, 22, and Hridoy, 18, and daughter Nipu Akter, 13, their hotel staff Saimun Hossain hailing from Nangalkot upazila and auto-rickshaw driver Jamal Hossain, 22, of Laksam upazila in the district.

Family’s youngest member Rifat, 8, survived the accident with severe injuries. He was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment.

The bus smashed the CNG-run auto-rickshaw around 12 noon, leaving five passengers of the three-wheeler dead on the spot and four others injured, said Md Badrul Alam Talukdar, officer-in-charge of Lalmai police station.

Three of the injured died while undergoing treatment at Baghmara Health Complex.

Police recovered the bodies and sent those to Comilla Medical College Hospital morgue.

In Dhaka, a man was killed in a road accident at Uttar Badda in the morning.

Shahidul Islam, 45, son of late Saidul Islam of Charikumarpara in Kalmakanda upazila of Netrakona district, was hit by an unknown vehicle, said inspector Bachchu Mia at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) police camp.

In Lakshmipur, Ibrahim, son of Abul Khayer of Laxmipur municipality area and an HSC first-year student, was killed as his motorbike fell into a ditch by JB Road in the morning.

Md Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station, said Ibrahim’s family bought the new motorcycle for him on Saturday afternoon although he was not experienced in driving it.

He went out with the motorbike in the morning and it fell into the ditch when he lost control over it, leaving him dead on the spot.

On information, police recovered the body and handed it over to the family after a postmortem, the OC added.

In Satkhira, a youth – Sagar Hossain, 25, son of Hafi Sardar of Nagarghata village in Patkelghata – was killed in an accident that took place in the district town in the evening.

Locals said the deceased along with another youth was riding a motorcycle in the town. At one stage, their motorcycle hit a roadside pillar, leaving the duo critically injured.

Being rescued, they were taken to Sadar Hospital where doctors pronounced Sagar dead.

Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Satkhira Sadar police station, confirmed the incident saying the body was kept at the hospital for autopsy.

In Magura, a farmer – Biplab Majumdar, 45, of Nalia village – was killed in head-on collision between a human-hauler and a motorcycle in Shalikha upazila.

Tariqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shalikha police station, said Biplob got tangled between the two vehicles after the collision at Narapati.

He was then taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the OC said.

Meanwhile, a bus plunged into a roadside ditch in Sadar upazila of Kishoreganj around 3:00pm, leaving 19 passengers injured.

According to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare platform, at least 224 people were killed and 886 others injured in 203 road accidents across the country in 12 days before and after the Eid-ul-Azha.

The road accidents took place on different national and regional highways from 6 August to 17 August, according to a report prepared by the organisation.

Of the total dead and injured, were 37 drivers, 3 transport workers, 70 women, 22 children, 42 students, 3 journalists, 2 physicians, 8 law enforcers, 3 politicians and 900 others pedestrians.

Placing the report at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) in the city, Jatri Kalyan Samity secretary general Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said the number of road crashes and casualties saw a drop during his Eid vacation than that of last year.