A bus hit and killed a 14-year-old boy when he was attempting to retrieve a football from the road in Sylhet’s Jaintapur area on Sunday.

Jaintapur Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Zahidul Islam Munna said that a group of boys had been playing football by the road and the ball accidentally rolled onto the road.

The victim, Abir Ahmed Babu, went to fetch the ball but was struck by a bus traveling towards Sylhet. He was severely injured and rushed to the local health complex, where doctors declared him dead. 

Following the accident, enraged students and locals took to the streets, blocking the Jaintapur-Sylhet highway in protest.

The blockade, which lasted for over three and a half hours, led to severe traffic disruption, with no vehicles able to pass during that period. 

To de-escalate tensions, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Jaintapur, Arnab Dutta, along with police and administrative officials, held a meeting with local teachers and residents.

Bus runs over school headmaster in Gazipur

Following the talks, the protesters agreed to lift the blockade after assurances that the bus driver would be arrested and legal action taken and the victim’s body would be handed over to the family without an autopsy. 

Acting Headmaster Monzurul Hasan Mahmud of Ganipur Kamalganj School and College said that Abir was run over by a speeding bus.

He also mentioned that when the incident sparked outrage among the students, police resorted to baton charging, which led to the road blockade by the protesters. 

The OC said, “The bus involved in the accident is currently in the custody of the students and efforts are underway to arrest the driver.”

In response to the protesters’ demands, the victim’s body was handed over to the family without conducting an autopsy, he added.