Bus race costs another life

Yet another ugly race between two buses took away the life of a college student at Mostafa Majir intersection of Rampura-Demra Road in the capital yesterday, sparking protests in the area.

Iram Bepari, 19, a first-year student of Golam Mostafa Model College in Demra, was hit by one of the speeding buses around 11:00am, killing him on the spot. He was on a bicycle.

The accident took place barely three weeks into university student Abrar Ahmed's killing in a road crash that triggered massive protests over unsafe roads and poor traffic management.

Iram's death coincided with separate road accidents that left at least nine people killed and 16 injured across the country yesterday.

The college student used to live with his parents at Amulia Purbapara in Demra. He had come to play cricket on a field near the Mostafa Majhir intersection, said his cousin Masudur Rahman Masud.

In the middle of the game, Iram took a friend's bicycle and headed for the bazaar on the intersection to have some water.   

Witnesses said two buses of Ramzan Paribahan and Swadhin Paribahan were racing towards Rampura at that time. The bus of Ramzan Paribahan hit Iram's bicycle and dragged him around 10 yards, they added.

"When the buses were trying to overtake each other, one made room for the bicycle while another knocked it down,” said Harez Mia, a witness.

In protest, fellow students and locals blocked the intersection after Juma prayers for two and a half hours. They put up barricades on the road with burning tyres, halting vehicular movement.

Around 15 vehicles were vandalised during the road blockade while the agitating people demanded justice for recent road accidents and construction of foot bridges and speed breakers in the area.

The blockade was removed around 4:30pm after the police high-ups assured the protesters of action. After the accident, authorities were seen constructing a speed breaker on the spot.

Earlier on July 29 last year, two college students were killed during a race between two buses in Shewra area on Airport Road in the capital, touching off a wave of protests actively participated by students of almost all educational institutions. The agitations lasted for more than a week and put Dhaka on a standstill.

The shell-shocked mother of Iram, a student whose life was cut short by a race between two buses in the capital. Photo: Star

ANGER, FRUSTRATION

Iram's father Delwar Hossain expressed frustration over the spate of road accidents cutting the young lives short.

"What will happen if I file a case? There would be no action and such accidents will continue…” said Delwar, a ready-made garment trader in Dhaka's New Market area.

One of the protesters said, “Whenever a road accident happens or someone is killed, a footbridge or speed breaker is constructed. Is this how we want to ensure road safety?”

The relatives of Iram want stern punishment of people responsible for his untimely death.

Iram's cousin Masudur Rahman said their another cousin Imran, 28, lost his life under the wheels of a speeding bus at the same place, just three months back.

Khokon Mia, a vendor, said Iram's body was lying on the road for an hour when a patrol team of Khilgaon police was seen nearby. When locals told them to take the body to hospital, they said the area was under Demra police and they had nothing to do about it.

Police said they seized the bus of Ramzan Paribahan and also detained its driver and helper.

Firefighters inspecting the accident spot in Manikganj's Shibaloy where a head-on collision between a bus and a truck left at least two killed and 14 others injured yesterday. Photo: Star

COLLISION CLAIMS 2 LIVES

Two persons were killed and 14 others injured in a collision between a truck and a bus on Dhaka-Aricha highway in Manikganj's Shibaloy upazila yesterday.

The identity of the dead could not be known immediately.

A Paturia-bound bus of Rabeya Paribahan collided head-on with an onion-laden truck in Mushuria area around 4:30pm, said Yamin-ud Daula, in-charge of Barangail Highway Police Outpost.

The truck driver was killed on the spot while another passenger of the bus died while being taken to hospital. Fourteen passengers of the bus sustained injuries in the accident, the OC said.

The injured were rushed to Upazila Health Complex and then transferred to Manikganj District Hospital.

Four of the injured were shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated, said Dr Lutfor Rahman, resident medical officer of the district hospital.

ANOTHER STUDENT KILLED

A student of Netrakona Government College, Bijoy Rabid Das, 22, was killed on Mymensingh-Kishoreganj Road in Mymensingh's Gouripur upazila around 10:15pm on Thursday.

Abdullah Al Mamun, officer-in-charge of Gouripur Police Station, said a truck and a human haulier collided head-on, leaving Bijoy dead on the spot.

Police seized the human haulier but the truck driver managed to flee with his vehicle, the OC added.

Bijoy was a former cadet corporal of BNCC at Gouripur Government College unit in 2015-2016 sessions. He passed his SSC and HSC with GPA-5 from Nurul Amin Khan High School and Gouripur Government College respectively.

TWO TEENAGERS KILLED 

Two teenagers were killed in a motorbike accident on Khilgaon flyover in the capital yesterday. They are Tajuddin Hossain Tuhin, 17, and Abdullah Al Noman, 16.

Sohrab Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sabujbagh Police Station, said the two were riding a motorbike on the flyover around 3:00pm. Their motorbike was at a speed of over 100kph.

“Noman was driving the bike. He lost control over the bike when he tried to change lane on the flyover and get on the south side,” the OC said.

At one point, the motorbike hit a road divider and fell down from the flyover. Later, when they were rushed to a nearby hospital, doctors declared them dead, the OC added.

None of them was wearing helmet, the OC said, adding both of the teenagers were residents of Wahab Colony in Bashabo.

The bodies were sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsies.

BOY KILLED IN PANCHAGARH

A 12-year-old deaf boy was killed as a truck hit his bicycle on Debiganj-Domar Road in Panchagarh's Debiganj upazila around noon yesterday.

The dead is Monir Mukit, son of Moshiur Rahman.

Mukit was crossing the road riding his bicycle as he wanted to go a nearby playground. At that time, the truck hit Mukit, leaving him dead on the spot, said witnesses.

Rabiul Hossain, officer-in-charge of Debiganj Police Station, said the body was handed over to the family yesterday evening.

The truck driver fled the scene with his vehicle, the OC added.

RICKSHAW PULLER KILLED IN CUMILLA

A rickshaw puller was killed in Cumilla's Chandina upazila as a Chattogram-bound lorry hit his cement-laden rickshaw near Madhaiya Bus Stand around 9:30am yesterday.

The dead is Abdul Alim, 33. He left behind two children.

Monirul Islam, in-charge of Eliotganj Highway Police Outpost, said two pedestrians were also injured in the accident. They were sent to Cumilla Medical College Hospital.

The body was sent to Cumilla Medical College morgue for autopsy, he added.

Police seized the lorry but the driver managed to flee from hospital after receiving primary treatment, Monirul further said.

Meanwhile, another man was killed on Jashore-Chuknagar road near Sundolpur Bazar of Jashore, reported UNB.

The dead is Jamal Hossain, 23.

He was killed as a speeding truck ran him over around 3:00am.