Road crashes claim eleven more lives

At least 11 people were killed and several others injured in eight road accidents across the country in 24 hours since Monday night.

The accidents left two people dead each in Manikganj, Comilla and Barguna while one each in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Narayanganj, Gopalganj and Munshiganj, report our district correspondents. 

In Manikganj, a bus went on the wrong side of Dhaka-Aricha highway and hit a motorcycle near Dhulondi Road Divider area of Ghior upazila around 8:00pm on Monday.

Police constable Atab Ali, 21, his wife Shamima Akter, 25, and their five-year-old daughter Fatema Akter, who were on the bike, were critically injured.  

Atab and Fatema died later. Shamima was fighting for her life at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar on the outskirts of the capital.

Talking to this newspaper, relatives of the victims said Atab was dreaming that one day his daughter would be a BCS cadre. But that dream is now gone.

They said the accident occurred when the family was returning home in Manikganj after attending a marriage ceremony at a nearby village.

The bus that hit the motorbike had no route permit, said Ataur Rahman, senior assistant superintendent of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Manikganj. Atab was posted at Rajarbagh Police Lines in the capital.

Police seized the bus. Although the driver managed to flee, his helper was arrested. Atab's brother Ashrad Ali filed a case with Ghior Police Station over the incident.

In Comilla, a father and his son were killed when a CNG-run auto-rickshaw they were travelling in crashed into a tree along Comilla-Brahmanpara Road in Palpara area of Sadar upazila around 7:30am yesterday.

It happened after the driver lost control over the wheels, said witnesses.

The dead were Md Aminul Islam, 45, owner of a clothes store in Dhaka's Ashkona Bazar area, and his son Wafiul Islam Nabil, 5, said Monoj Kumer Dey, officer-in-charge of Burichang Police Station.

Aminul's wife Yeasmin Akter, 35, and daughter Afshana Akter Munia, 12 -- who were also in the auto-rickshaw -- were injured and taken to Dhaka for better treatment.

The driver fled immediately after the incident. Police were looking for him, said Tapan Bagchi, in-charge of Chatrakhil Police Outpost.

In Barguna, two people were killed and another was injured after a bus and a motorbike collided head-on in Kajirabad area in Betagi upazila around 1:00pm yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Abdul Aziz Sikder, 65, and Hanif Akon, 32, said Mamun-Ur-Rashid, OC of Betagi Police Station. Police seized the bus and arrested its driver, Mohammad Mitu, 35.

In Sylhet, a pedestrian was run over and killed by a bus while he was crossing the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Lalabazar area of Dakshin Surma upazila around 11:30am yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Kamrul Islam, 45, manager of Shefa Pharmacy in Lalabazar.

Police seized the bus, but the driver and his helper fled.

Following the incident, agitated locals blocked the road for around two hours, demanding prompt action to arrest the driver.

In Sunamganj, a woman was killed as a bus ran her over near Sujanagar village in Derai upazila yesterday. The dead is Swarupa Begum, 55, of Matargaon village of the upazila, police said.

The law enforcers seized the bus but its driver fled, Mostafa Kamal, OC of Derai Police Station, said, adding a case was filed with the police station against the driver named Abdur Razzak.

Protesting the incident, locals kept the road blocked in the area for nearly an hour.

In Narayanganj, a sixth grader of Pagla High School was killed after an easy bike knocked him down in front of his school in Fatullah on Monday night.  

Manzur Kader, OC of Fatullah Model Police Station, said the speeding vehicle hit Mohammad Shakib, 11, while he was crossing a road, leaving him seriously injured.

Locals rescued and took him to a hospital. Later he was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he died yesterday morning.

Police seized the easy bike but the driver managed to flee.

In Gopalganj, a man was killed after a bus hit his motorbike in Bijoypasha area on Dhaka-Khulna Highway in Sadar upazila around 12:45pm yesterday, said Sheikh Mafujur Rahman, OC of Bhanga Highway Police Station,

The deceased was Sihab Uddin Gazi, 30, son of Lokman Hossain Gazi of Raduli village in Paikgachha upazila of Khulna. He was a member of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP.

In Munshiganj, a motorbike rider was killed and another injured after the bike and a bus collided head-on in Ramerkhola area on Dhaka-Mawa highway on Monday night.

The deceased was identified as Nasir Uddin, while the injured Nur Mohammad was undergoing treatment at DMCH.

Police seized the bus and arrested the driver, said Golam Morshed Talukder, OC of Dhaka-Mawa Highway Police Outpost.