Road Accidents
AL leader, 2 journos among 15 killed
PM orders arrest of drivers
Fifteen people including Awami League’s Sylhet district unit senior vice-president Iftekhar Hossain Shamim and two journalists were killed in road accidents in Sylhet,
Dhaka and Gaibandha yesterday.
Eight people, including Iftekhar Hossain Shamim, were killed and 30 others injured when a truck collided head on with an intercity bus on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at
Teromile of Osmaninagar, some 22km away from Sylhet city, yesterday morning.
Shamim’s wife and daughter were also injured.
Al-Amin, officer-in-charge of Osmaninagar Police Station, told The Daily Star that the accident occurred around 5:30am when the stone-laden truck collided with the bus
heading for Sylhet from Dhaka, reports our staff correspondent in Sylhet.
All the deceased were in the bus.
The other deceased were: Haji Abdul Baten, 45, of Keraniganj, his son Abir Hossain, 20, and nephew Apu, 22, Standard Chartered Bank officer Rashembwar Singh, 28, and
Shawkat Ali, 33, of Habiganj, Afzal Hossain, 50, of Suhrawardy Hospital in Dhaka, and Saikat Ali Asgar.
Of the deceased, seven died on the spot while Shawkat succumbed to his injuries at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Al-Amin said.
Among the injured, 15 were undergoing treatment at the hospital. They include Naznin Hossain, wife of the deceased Awami League leader, their daughter Sejin, Golam
Kabir Chowdhury, editor of weekly Prio Bangla, Palestinian national Md Rajin, also a third-year student at the MAG Osmani Medical College, Md Lutfur Rahman, a
government employee at Sylhet Sadar Upazila land office, Zakir Hossain, Mohammad Ali, Sajib, Ashraf, Bulbul, Md Ejajur Rahman, and Emran.
The truck driver and his helper escaped arrest, the OC added.
After the news of Shamim’s death spread, Sylhet City Mayor Badaruddin Ahmed Kamran, Awami League district general secretary and lawmaker Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury,
local Awami League leaders, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Khan Mohammad Billal and Superintendent of Police Md Shakhawat Hossain visited the spot.
The DC told newsmen that he had already instructed highway police to form a committee to probe the accident.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also expressed profound shock at the loss of lives in the accident.
The namaz-e-janaza of Shamim was held at the Sylhet Government Alia Madrasa Maidan after Asr prayers yesterday. Shamim’s son Intekhar Hossain, Suranjit Sengupta, a
minister without portfolio, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, prime minister’s representative Mahbubul Alam Hanif, lawmaker Shafiqur and Sylhet city mayor addressed a
public gathering before the janaza.
After the janaza, the valiant freedom fighter was given a state honour. He was laid to rest at the graveyard adjacent to the shrine of Hajrat Shahjalal (RA).
Shamim left behind his wife Naznin, also a women and cultural activist, two sons, a daughter and a host of relatives and admirers.
Sylhet district and city Awami League have taken up a five-day programme to mourn his death.
Sylhet BNP Vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Sylhet city BNP President MA Haque, Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s President Faruque Ahmed Misbah
expressed deep shock at the death of Shamim and others in the accident.
JOURNALIST BIBHAS
Bibhas Chandra Saha, 46, chief crime reporter of The Independent, was killed in the capital’s Dhanmondi when a bus ran him over.
Witnesses said the bus rear-ended Bibhas’ motorbike near Popular Medical College Hospital on Dhanmondi Road-2 just 200 yards away from his office.
Tea stall owner Abdul Zabbar witnessed the accident. He said, “First the bus hit him from the behind and he fell on the street. But the bus did not stop, rather it
tried to escape and the left rear wheel went over his head…”
Bibhas’ head was crushed along with the helmet he was wearing. He died on the spot.
Witnesses claimed that Bibhas was following traffic rules but the bus was not. Locals chased down the bus and vandalised it. The driver managed to flee but his helper
was arrested.
Police rushed to the spot as people were vandalising the bus. They had to fire three shots in the air to control the situation, locals said.
Hearing the news of Bibhas’ death, his colleagues from The Independent and fellow journalists of other newspapers and media houses rushed to the spot and later to
Dhaka Medical College morgue, where the body was kept for an autopsy.
Bibhas started his journalist career at The Independent as staff correspondent in February, 1996. He joined New Age in 2003 as senior staff correspondent and worked
there until 2009. He retuned to The Independent as senior staff correspondent in 2010.
In his 15-year career as a journalist, he mainly worked as a crime reporter.
Bibhas left behind his wife Taposhi Saha and a host of relatives and well-wishers.
PHOTOJOURNALIST
Photojournalist Shahiduzzaman Titu, 38, of local daily Matabad of Barisal died when a bus rear-ended his rickshaw near Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the capital yesterday
afternoon and then ran him over.
Dainik Destiny Sub-Editor Jannatul Ferdous Chowdhury Sohel, a friend of Shahiduzzaman, who was also on the rickshaw, and rickshaw puller Altaf sustained minor
injuries.
Shah Alam, officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station, quoting Sohel said a bus heading for Sadarghat hit the rickshaw from behind near the hotel, formerly Dhaka
Sheraton Hotel, around 1:30pm.
Sohel told The Daily Star that he and Shahiduzzaman fell on the road after they were hit. Wheels of the bus then crushed Shahiduzzaman’s head.
Sohel said Shahiduzzaman came to Dhaka on Wednesday for a job interview at a new newspaper and for medical treatment of his wife.
Shahiduzzaman started his journalist carrier at regional daily Sattya Sangbad in 2005 and later joined daily Matobad. He left behind his wife and a five-year-old son.
Police seized the bus right away and arrested driver Naimul Islam. 40. They sent the body to Dhaka Medical College morgue for an autopsy.
The Ramna OC said they would talk to Sohel and the rickshaw puller to know why the rickshaw was on a street restricted for non-motorised vehicles.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expressed deep shock at the death of the two journalists. She directed authorities concerned to arrest the guilty drivers and
take necessary steps so that such accidents do not happen in the capital.
GAIBANDHA ROAD CRASH
Five people, including four of a family, were killed when a truck rammed a rickshaw-van at Dhanghara on Gaibandha-Palashbari highway yesterday morning.
The deceased are: Shyamol Chandra Sarkar, 35, of Khamar Pirgachha village, his wife Nomita Rani, 28, younger brother Chandon Kumar, 23, maternal aunt Kanchan Bala, 60,
and rickshaw-van puller Ashraf Ali, 50.
Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Gaibandha Police Station, said a speeding truck rear-ended the rickshaw-van killing all four family members on the spot,
reports our Gaibandha correspondent.
Ashraf succumbed to his injuries on the way to Gaibandha Sadar Hospital, Mostafizur said, adding that they were trying to locate the truck and its driver.
-With The Daily Star input
