Five die on roads, mobs torch vehicles

Nadia Sultana

Three separate road accidents in Faridpur, Dhaka and Gazipur yesterday killed at least 5 people, causing travel chaos on key highways. 

In Faridpur, a Dhaka-bound bus named Star Express hit a motorcycle near Monsurabad bus stand area in Bhanga upazila around 12:30pm, killing all 3 on the bike.

Witnesses said the motorbike was entering the Dhaka-Khulna highway from a local link road.

The deceased were identified as Mohiuddin Sheikh, 35, his brother-in-law Saurav Matubbar, 16, and his daughter Tabassum, 10.

According to locals and police, the accident took place when Mohiuddin was heading towards a relative's home at Hiyabolodia village in Nagarkanda upazila from his father-in-law's house at Majhardia village of Faridpur's Bhanga.

His daughter and brother-in-law were the pillion riders on his motorbike.

Mohiuddin and Saurav died on the spot. Tabassum died at the Bhanga upazila health complex where she was brought critically injured, said Taimur Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bhanga Highway Police Station.

Immediately after the accident, a mob set the bus on fire. However, the driver, helper and supervisor of the bus managed to flee, said a witness. A fire service unit later doused the fire.

Meanwhile, in Dhaka, a female private university student yesterday died after a bus hit a motorcycle in Bhatara.

Deceased Nadia Sultana, 19, was a first-semester student of the pharmacy department of Northern University, said Rafiqul Haque, inspector (investigation) of Bhatara Police Station.

She got admitted to the university earlier this month. She was yet to start her classes, said Mahmudul Hasan, an official at the admission section of Northern University.

Nadia was the pillion rider of her friend's motorcycle when a Malibagh-bound bus of Victor Paribahan hit the bike near Jamuna Future Park around 12:45pm.

She was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared her dead, Rafiqul said. Police seized the bus, but the bus driver managed to flee.

ABM Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge of Bhatara Police Station, told The Daily Star that the deceased was not wearing a helmet.

"According to his friend, they were going to Jamuna Future Park for some shopping," said the OC.

Nadia's body was handed over to her father after an autopsy performed at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College morgue.

A case was filed in this connection.

Several hundred students of the university blockaded a portion of the road near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. They staged a demonstration for around one hour demanding punishment for the bus driver, said police.

Vehicular movement on the road became normal around 7:00pm when the students concluded their demonstration, said Kazi Shahan Haque, OC of Khilkhet Police Station.

In a separate incident in Gazipur, a security guard of a garment factory died after a truck ran over him at Kaliakoir's Chandra area yesterday morning.

The deceased is Azadul Haque, 35, who hailed from Gaibandha's Govindaganj upazila, used to work for Mahmud Jeans Ltd.

The factory's security in charge Abu Taher Faruki said, the accident happened Azadul was trying to help the factory's workers cross the road in front of the factory around 7:50am.

Agitating workers set fire to the truck. The driver managed to flee the scene.

Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Tangail highway was suspended for nearly four hours as thousands of workers blockaded it.  They also vandalised at least 30 vehicles, said Nitai Chandra Sarker, inspector, Gazipur Industrial Police.

Vehicular movement resumed around 12:00pm, he added.