3-Day Eid Vacation: 42 lives lost in road accidents

A number of students of schools and colleges in Chawra Barogachha union of Nilphamari wanted to do something different during the Eid holidays. They rented a pickup to go to popular tourist spot Swapnapuri in Dinajpur the day after Eid.

They travelled to Swapnapuri and sang and danced to popular Bollywood music. It was a fun day.

But when they were on their way back, their pickup collided head on with a bus. At least 10 of the students were killed and 13 others injured on Saidpur Bypass Road on Dhaka-Dinajpur highway.

They were among the 42 people who lost their lives on the roads in the last four days.

The number of casualties could be even higher as many accidents, especially in regional highways and district roads, remain unreported.

Last year 41 were killed during the Eid holidays.

Police and locals said an unidentified coach collided with the pickup at Dhalagachh intersection on Saidpur Bypass Road around 10:15pm on Sunday. Six died on the spot and four died in hospitals.

A few of the victims had skidded on the highway and were crushed by other fast-moving vehicles, they said.

Witnesses of the accidents said the boys were dancing on the flatbed and their vehicle was travelling fast.

Of the injured, eight were referred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Paul (Saidpur Circle) said all the deceased were between 14 and 25 years old and were of Chawra Barogachha union.

Mosharaff Hossain, chairman of Chawra Barogachha Union Parishad, said some 25 students from different schools and colleges had left Sunday morning to go to Swapnapuri.

“After the accident, the enter union was stunned,” Mosharaff told our Nilphamari correspondent over the phone.

FRIDAY

In Chittagong, three people were killed in a head-on collision between two buses in Sahgodi Nimtoli area of Patiya upazila, reports UNB.

The deceased are Hridoy Ranjan Das, 70, a teacher of Cox's Bazar, his wife Basanti Das, 55, and their son-in-law, Shibakar Das, 40.

Hridoy and Basanti died on the spot and Shibakar died at Chittagong Medical Collage Hospital.

Two people died when a bus hit a road-side tree after its driver lost control on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Shuklal Hat in Barabkunda.

An unidentified woman was killed after being hit by a human haulier when she was crossing the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Madambibir Hat in Sitakunda upazila.

In Sylhet, an elderly woman died after she slipped from a human haulier as she was getting down.

In Chandpur, a hawker was killed after a car hit the rickshaw he was travelling on. Police seized the car but its driver fled.

An unidentified bus passenger was killed and 25 others were injured when two buses collided head on on Dhaka-Tangail highway in Kurni area of Mirzapur, reports our district correspondent.

SATURDAY

In Habiganj, a headmaster of a primary school fell from his motorbike while trying to overtake an autorickshaw at Uttarbazar of Chunarughat, reports UNB. He was run over by an oncoming bus and he died on the spot.

In Jhenidah, a motorbike rider was killed in a road accident on Magura-Jhenidah highway in Madhupur Pachmile area.

In Faridpur, a bus staffer died on the spot when his bus hit a roadside tree after the driver lost control in Purbo Sodordi area of Bhanga upazila, report our district correspondent.

Another person died at Dangi when a three-wheeler felt into a roadside ditch.

In Mymensingh, a 15-year-old girl was killed in Shahbazpur area of Gouripur upazila when her scarf got tangled with the wheels of an autorickshaw, police said.

SUNDAY

In Noakhali, three people died and another was injured in a head-on collision between a bus and an autorickshaw on Laksam-Sonaimuri Road at Rampur of Sonaimuri.

In Tangail, a bus crushed a motorcycle near Bangabandhu Bridge killing its three riders.

In the same district, a homemaker was killed in another motorbike accident in Bailla area.

In Cox's Bazar, a teenaged boy was killed after an autorickshaw hit him, reports UNB.

In Comilla, a woman was killed after a bus hit her at Kalakachua on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Burichang upazila.

In the same district, a travel agent of Barura was killed when a microbus plunged into a roadside ditch.

In Thakurgaon, two motorbike riders were killed on the spot after a minibus hit their bike at Mathurapur.

In Faridpur, an elderly person died when a microbus ran over a motorbike in Kalia Moro area, police said.

YESTERDAY

In Magura, a father and daughter were killed in Harishpur area when a bus hit the rickshaw van they were travelling on, reports our Jhenidah correspondent.

In Jhenidah, a motorbike rider was killed when his bike was rear ended by a bus in Arabpur Bus Stand area, report our district correspondent.

In Chittagong, a man was killed and nine of his friends and family were injured when the microbus they were in was hit by a bus at Satkania on Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway.

In Mymensingh, a schoolteacher was killed and four others injured when a battery-run autorickshaw collided head on with a CNG-run autorickshaw in Jhalua area on Mymensingh-Kishoreganj Road in Nandail. The woman died at Nandail Upazila Health Complex.

MISHAPS ON WATERWAYS

In Jhenidah, two youths drowned in the Madhumoti when they jumped off their engine boat on Saturday fearing capsize and lightening strikes during a storm.

Locals and police said seven to eight youths went on a trip on a rented boat but when they reached Selamotpur Ghat area, a strong storm hit them. All of them jumped into the river but two could not swim ashore.

In Barisal, a trawler capsized in the Karkhana river after a large chunk of earth from the shore fell on it at DC Ghat of Kakarda in Bakerganj on Sunday. Four of the 20 passengers are still missing.