Road crashes claim 4 lives

Four people, including two schoolgirls, were killed and seven others injured in road crashes in Cumilla, Dinajpur and Jhalakathi yesterday. 

Accidents claimed the lives of schoolgirls in Chandina and Sadar Dakkhin upazilas of Cumilla. Students staged demonstrations, protesting the deaths.

In Chandina upazila, a ninth grader was killed as a tractor-trailer carrying a large iron pipe ran over her at Kutumbopur around 9:00am. 

Mahmuda Akter Yasmin, 14, was the daughter of Monir Hossain in Nazirpur area.

Abu Faisal, officer-in-charge of Chandina Police Station, said the accident took place in front of her school on a connecting road of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway when she was returning home after attending a programme marking the Independence Day from her school.

The vehicle was carrying the pipe to install gas pipeline of Gas Transmission Company Limited in Kutumbopur. 

Monir Hossain, a teacher of the school, who witnessed the incident, said the accident happened as the driver lost control over the steering.

Protesting the incident, students blocked the road in front of the school for over an hour.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, the OC said, adding that they seized the vehicle and arrested its driver.

The police official said driver Monowar Hossain admitted that he has no driving licence. 

In another incident, a tenth grader of Bijoypur High School in Sadar Dakkhin upazila lost her life when a human haulier, locally known as Leguna, carrying students fell into a roadside ditch at Mustofapur around 9:15am. Five others were also hurt.

The victim, Rina Saha Riya, 15, was the daughter of Labu Saha of Baropara.

Hearing the news, her fellows barricaded the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in front of the school and staged demonstrations.

Mamunur Rashid, officer-in-charge of Cumilla Sadar Dakkhin Police Station, said the injured were admitted to Cumilla Medical College Hospital.

In Dinajpur, Rois Uddin, 58, of Itai village in Hakimpur upazila, died on the spot as a motorbike hit him in Bawna area on Hakimpur-Ghoraghat road around 7.00am. The victim was crossing the road.

In Jhalakathi's Rajapur upazila, a motorcyclist was killed and two pillion riders were critically wounded when a bus ran over the motorcycle on the Barishal-Pathorghata highway near Rajapur Bypass intersection around noon.

The deceased is Touhidul Islam, 22, of Koibortokhali village in the upazila.

The injured were admitted to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

Jahid Hossain, OC of Rajapur Police Station, said they seized the bus, but its driver fled.

Our correspondents in Cumilla, Dinajpur and Jhalakathi contributed to this report.