25 killed as bus rams into tree

Twenty-five people were killed and 23 injured as a bus crashed onto a roadside tree on Dhaka-Barisal highway in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur early yesterday.

The Barisal-bound bus from Dhaka was speeding and trying to overtake another when the accident occurred around 1:15am at Koidubi Sadardi, some 35km from Faridpur town. After hitting the tree, the bus plunged into a ditch, police said.

Twenty-two passengers of the ill-fated bus of Sonartari Paribahan died on the spot and three at Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

The deceased are Surjo Begum, 70, Akli Begum, 7, Asma, 27, Helal Karim, 28, Rezaul, 20, Shahin, 24, Kabir, 39, Mahmudul Hasan Mithu, 20, Sohag, 29, Abu Bakar, 22, Sumon, 28, and Ripon, 25, of Patuakhali; Mobarak, 32, Afzal Hossain, 40, Shahria 28, and Bahadur, 27, of Barisal; Ratan Sajjad, 30, Rabeya Begum, 70, Tutul, 45, and Barek, 40, of Barguna; Shariful Sheikh, 27, of Gopalganj; Monirul, 35, of Jessore; Nazma, 30, of Gazipur; Mamunur Rashid, 32, of Dinajpur; and Jalil, 34, of Jhalakathi.

The bodies of the victims were handed over to the victims' family members, said Alamgir Hossain, upazila nirbahi officer of Bhanga.

Faridpur district administration gave Tk 10,000 to each of the families of the deceased.

Talking to The Daily Star at the hospital, injured passenger Ansar, 45, said the bus was travelling at a high speed as its driver was apparently engaged in a race with the Barisal-bound bus of Shakura Paribahan since they crossed Daulatdia ghat. 

Another injured, Rubel, 26, said a truck was coming from the opposite direction when the bus was trying to overtake the Shakura Paribahan bus.

Members of the fire service, Ansar and police reached the spot and rescued the injured with the help of locals.

The injured were first sent to Bhanga Health Complex, just around half a kilometre from the spot. Five of the wounded were later moved to the medical college hospital.

A five-member probe body, headed by Additional District Magistrate Abdur Rashid of Faridpur, was formed to probe the accident, said Sardar Sarafat Ali, deputy commissioner of the district.

The magistrate said no incident of robbery was connected to the accident.

Contacted, Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station in Barisal, said bus driver Zakir Hossain and his helper Montu were receiving treatment at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital under police watch.