Father, son victims of reckless driving

Seven-year-old Arabur Rahman Taosin requested his father to take him to a restaurant for breakfast.

As Habibur Rahman and his son Taosin reached the footpath near Jashore-Chuknagar road yesterday, a covered van rammed into them, leaving the duo dead on the spot.

Following their death, the Satkhira-bound van crashed into at least 10 roadside eateries and tea stalls and ran over three others sitting at a tea stall at that time.

The other three deceased were identified as Ziarul Islam (35), Touhidur Rahman (38), and Mir Shamsul (60).

The accident occurred at 7:30am in Begaritala Bazar area of Jashore's Monirampur Upazila, according to Monirampur Police Station OC Sheikh Moniruzzaman.

Abu Taleb, owner of a roadside restaurant that was damaged in the accident, said, "Around 7:30 in the morning, Habibur went to the street with his son. The covered van hit them first and then veered into the roadside shops, hitting people at one of the tea stalls."

"Bodies of Shamsul, Touhidur and Ziarul were recovered from under the covered van," they added.

Following the accident, aggrieved locals blockaded the Jashore-Chuknagar road for nearly two hours, during which, the vehicular movement remained halted, said witnesses.

After two and a half hours, the police normalised the traffic situation.

Meanwhile, Tahmina Khatun, mother of Taosin, is having a difficult time accepting the death of her son and her husband.

"I lost my husband and my child. How am I supposed to endure this?" she said.

OC Moniruzzaman said police seized the covered van but the driver managed to flee.

"The bodies were sent to Jashore General Hospital for autopsy," he added.

[Our Benapole correspondent contributed to this report]