Ten people, including six of a family, were killed in separate road accidents in Noakhali and Keraniganj on Sunday. Seven people were killed when their car plunged into a roadside pond in Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali on Sunday morning while they were going to Noakhali to attend the namaz-e-janaza of a relative. Of the seven six were from a family and the other one was the driver of the car.
According to the victims’ relatives, Mostafizur Rahman, 50, a trader residing at Uttara in the capital, left his house along with his family members Friday night to attend the namaz-e-janaza of one of his maternal uncles.
When their car reached Nautola area on Laksam-Sonaimuri Road at around 5:00am, the driver of the car lost his control over the steering. The car skidded off the road and fell into a roadside pond, locals and the relatives said.
Trapped inside the car in cold water, all the victims died on the spot.
The other victims are Mostafizur Rahman’s son Shahadat, 8; two daughters – Shraboni, 13, and Jyoti, 3, – their relatives – Sohagi, 30, and Mili, 22; and driver Moshtaq Ahmed, 35.
People who were going to say their Fajr prayers found the car floating on the pond water and made announcements through loudspeaker of a local mosque.
Locals then recovered the bodies and informed the Sonaimuri police who took the bodies to the police station.
Humayun Kabir, officer-in-charge of Sonaimuri Police Station, said they handed over the bodies to the relatives of the deceased.
Meanwhile, three motorcyclists were killed on the spot on Dhaka-Mawa highway in Rajendrapur area in South Keraniganj when a speedy truck hit them from the behind on Sunday.
The ill-fated were identified as Babul Munshi, 40, Mohammad Dulal, 35, and Uzzal, Hossain 22 of Munshiganj.
According to the family members, they met with the tragic end while travelling to Dhaka from Munshiganj.
Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of South Keraniganj Police Station, told The Independent, “The incident took place at around 1:30pm when the victims reached Rajendrapur area boarding on a motorbike.
Quoting the witnesses Shakhawat Hossain, also said “Dulal and Uzzal Hossain died on the spot while Babul succumbed to his injuries at 3:30pm while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital Police with the help of local people seized the killer truck but the driver managed to flee the scene.
The bodies were sent to Sir Salimullah Medical Collage Hospital morgue for post mortem.
An unnatural death case was filed with South Keraniganj police station in this connection.
Meanwhile, leaders of Khulna Divisional Journalists Association on Sunday demanded better treatment for Nikhil Bhadra, senior reporter of the daily Kaler Kantha, sending him abroad. He lost one of his legs, another mangled, after he was run over by a bus in front of the Jatiya Press Club on December 28.
The demand was made at a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the city.
Convener of the association, Madhusudan Dutta regretted that despite promises by a number of ministers and adviser that Nikhil Bhadra would be sent abroad for better treatment, so far no initiative had been taken.
“We expect the intervention of the Prime Minister and advisers to take steps to send Nikhil abroad for better treatment within 72 hours,” Dutta added.
Among others, Chairman of the Bangladesh Kallyan Party, Major General (Retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, Jalil Bhuiyan, secretary general of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Shawkat Mahmud, secretary general of BFUJ, Omar Faruk, former general secretary of BFUJ, Reazuddin Ahmed, former president of Jatiya Press Club, in separate statements expressed their solidarity with the demand.
-With The Independent input
