Dhaka-Khulna Highway
Microbus cylinder blast leaves 7 dead in Faridpur
Seven people were burned dead and another was injured after the gas cylinder of a microbus exploded on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Maligram in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district on Saturday (June 24, 2023).
The deceased included three women, two men and two children but their identities could not be known yet.
A fire broke out in the microbus as its gas cylinder went off around 11 am, leaving five people dead on the spot and three others injured, said Tayumul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bhanga Highway Police.
Read more: Couple who suffered burns in fire from ‘gas line leak’ in Dhaka's Tejgaon dies
Two passengers succumbed to their injuries at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical College (BSMMC) Hospital, said Md Shahjahan, superintendent of the district police.
Injured microbus driver Mridul Malo, a resident of Sadar upazila, has been undergoing treatment at BSMMC hospital.
Read more: Wari fire death toll rises to 2
The bodies were kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy, he said, adding that the deceased hailed from Boalmari upazila of the district.
Deputy Commissioner Kamrul Ahsan Talukder said they have already formed a five-member probe committee to look into the matter and asked to submit its report within next two days.
He said Tk 20,000 was given for burial to the families of each deceased and Tk 10,000 for treatment of the injured driver.
Read more: https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/man-injured-in-narayanganj-tv-blast-dies/117252
4 killed, 15 injured as bus crashes into tree in Gopalganj
Four people, including a policeman, were killed and 15 others injured when a speeding passenger bus crashed into a tree on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Chandra Dighalia upazila of Gopalganj early on Friday morning.
The deceased cop was identified as Barishal Metropolitan Police member Abdul Alim, while the identities of the other victims are yet be ascertained, said Nasir Uddin, officer-in-charge of Gopalganj Sadar police station.
Read: Tangail road crash leaves six dead
Alim was deployed to ensure security during the visit of the President and the Prime Minister to Gopalganj on Friday, he said.
The accident occurred around 6am when the driver of the Mongla-bound bus of Didar Paribahan lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the roadside tree, leaving four people dead on the spot, said the OC.
Monirul Islam, one of the passengers hailing from Khulna, claimed that the accident occurred due to reckless driving.
Read: Sajek landslide: Road communication restored after 6.5 hours
OC Nasir said that of the injured passengers, 10 were admitted to Gopalganj General Hospital while others received primary aid.
Of the injured, two people were transferred to Khulna General Hospital as their condition was serious, said Md Faruq Ahmed, resident medical officer of the hospital.
Gopalganj: Students block Dhaka-Khulna highway to protest gang-rape
Students of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU) in Gopalganj have blocked the busy Dhaka-Khulna highway since Thursday morning in protest against the gang-rape of a fellow student.
Proctor of the university Rajiur Rahman said that the female student was allegedly raped by seven to eight people in Sadar upazila of the district on Wednesday night.
Read: Gang rape of Thakurgaon school girl: 2 arrested
According to a friend of the student, the accused abducted the student while she was returning home in a three-wheeler near Nabinbagh Helipad in Sadar upazila around 9.30pm. Later they took her to an under-construction school building and took turns to rape her.
“I have spoken with her and lodged a complaint at the Gopalganj Sadar Police Station,” said the proctor.
As soon as the news spread, the students of BSMRSTU staged a demonstration in front of the police station at night.
Read: Schoolgirl gang raped in Thakurgaon
Around 8 this morning, the students blocked the Dhaka-Khulna highway at Ghonapara in Sadar upazila, halting vehicular movement on the high-speed corridor.
Nihad Adnan Tahian, additional superintendent of police, said a police team had raided the area. "We hope to nab the accused soon."
Dhaka-Khulna highway turns death trap
The 35 kilometre stretch between Faridpur Sadar and Kamarkhali Bridge in Madhukhali on the Dhaka-Khulna highway has become a virtual death trap for commuters.
In the past 13 months, at least 30 people have reportedly died in different road accidents on the high-speed corridor. Apart from claiming lives, road crashes on the stretch have caused permanent disabilities in hundreds of victims.
Also read: 8 killed in separate road crashes in Faridpur 2 Shares
What's worrying is that accidents and fatalities are on the rise on the stretch despite the local police setting up a number of check posts in accident-prone areas to curb speeding.
On March 21 this year, as many as nine people, including six members of a family, were killed in a collision between a microbus and a truck at Majhkandi on the Dhaka-Khulna highway. All the victims were from Jhenaidah district.
On January 6, 2020, six people, including four members of a family, lost their lives on the same highway when a bus rammed a microbus at high speed.
Read 17 killed Rajshahi road accident
Cops attribute the rise in the number of accidents on the highway to speeding as well as careless and negligent driving.
Superintendent of Faridpur Highway Police, Mostafizur Rahman, told UNB that a number of check posts have been set up on the highway. "But nothing seems to be working."
"Despite accidents on the highway stretch claiming a number of lives every year, there's no end to motorists' fetish for speed," he added.
Also read: Bangladesh's roads remain perilous; 37,170 killed in 5 years
Advocate Shipra Goswami, however, said that "stricter enforcement of law is the need of the hour". "Those involved in reckless driving should be brought to book."
Mohammad Kabirul Islam Siddique, president of Faridpur Press Club, agreed. “Police must strictly enforce traffic rules to curb speeding and accidents on the highway. At the same time, motorists should adhere to speed limits," he said.
Shahrier Rumi, executive engineer of Faridpur Roads and Highways Department, also urged motorists and other occupants of vehicles to stay alert while using the highway.
The highway also known as N7 connects the Daulatdia Ferry Terminal on the south bank of the Padma River near Dhaka with the Port of Mongla in Bagerhat district. It serves some of the largest cities and towns in southwestern Bangladesh, including Faridpur, Magura, Jhenaidah, Jessore, and Khulna.
Also read: 3 dead in Jashore, Panchagarh road accidents
Huge hole on Dhaka-Khulna highway in Rajbari makes journey risky
A huge hole has been created on Dhaka-Khulna highway in front of Daulatdia union parishad in Goalanda upazila due to heavy rain for the last couple of days, making vehicular movement risky on the highway.
Visiting the risky spot on Tuesday morning, the UNB correspondent found that vehicles were passing the death trap without knowing its position which can cause fatal accident anytime.
Although some sand-filled sacks have been placed near the hole, locals fear that accident might happen anytime.
Besides the huge hole in front of union parishad, holes have been created at seven to eight spots from Daulatdia terminal to Goalanda Mogbul’s shop.
3 members of a family killed in Rajbari road crash
Three members of a family were killed and three others injured when a truck hit a private car on Dhaka-Khulna Highway at Khankhanapur in Sadar upazila on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Shuvro Mandal, 33, Lizan Biswas, 6, Shyamol Mandal, 35, of Ballavpur village in Mujibnagar upazila of Meherpur district.
Police said the accident took place around 10:30am when the truck hit the private car carrying six people while heading towards Dhaka, leaving three killed on the spot and three others injured.
The injured were taken to Goalanda Upazila Health Complex.
Gopalganj road crash claims five lives
Five construction workers were killed and seven others injured when a bus hit a human hauler on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Pona Bus Stand in Kashianiupazila on Friday.
Overspeed behind Faridpur accident that killed 6: Police
Overspeed, poor visibility and using the wrong lane are believed to have led to the road accident in which six lives were lost in Faridpur Sadar Upazila’s Kanaipur area on Monday morning.