4 Atomic Energy Commission staff killed in Savar road accident

Four staff of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), including three officials and a driver, were killed in a tragic road accident on Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, this morning.

At least 20 people, including 12 BAEC staff, were also injured in the incident, reports our Savar correspondent quoting police.

The incident took place around 9:00 am today (June 5, 2022) when a Dhaka-bound passenger bus of Safe Line Paribahan lost control and hit a truck carrying cattle before colliding with a staff bus of BAEC coming from the opposite direction, leaving its driver dead on the spot and more than 20 passengers of all three vehicles involved in the accident, said Abul Hossain, an eye-witness.

They were rushed to Enam Medical College and Hospital in Savar where doctors declared four BAEC staffers dead.

The deceased were identified as: BAEC senior scientific officer Arifuzzaman, scientific officer Puja Sarkar, engineer Kausar Ahmed, and driver Rajib Hossain.

Confirming the incident, Atiqur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Savar Highway Police Station, said the bodies of the deceased have been handed over to family and filing of a case in this connection was underway.

"We have seen a video footage of the accident in which the Safe Line bus was seen plying without control. Either the vehicle's engine malfunctioned or its driver lost control on the stirring. However, the engine of the bus has been badly damaged in the collision and it could not be ascertained if it was faulty. Nonetheless, it is clear from the footage that the Safe Line bus was responsible for the accident," said Dhaka North Traffic Inspector (administration) Abdus Salam.

Primarily it was revealed that the bus did not have route permit and fitness clearance.

The Safe Line Paribahan bus's number is Dhaka Metro Ba 14-5878. Whether it had route permit, fitness and road tax clearances will be known after further investigation, said Golam Mostofa, sub-inspector at Savar Highway Police Station.

Contacted, BRTA Inspector Sazzadur Rahman in Savar said they did not find any number plate on the Safe Line bus during their inspection on the spot as its front end was badly damaged.

He, however, revealed that if the bus had the number Dhaka Metro Ba 14-5878, as SI Mostofa said, in that case it does not have valid route permit and road tax clearance, which expired in 2014 and 2015 respectively.