Thousands of villagers on Tuesday clashed with law enforcers as the public demanded the arrests of the accused involved in the brutal deaths of two construction workers in a mob beating following a fire at a temple in Madhukhali upazila of Faridpur last Thursday (April 18, 2024) night. Some members of the law enforcing agencies and villagers were injured in the clash that lasted for around three hours on Dhaka-Khulna highway but the exact number of the injured could not be ascertained. One of the injured was sent to Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical College Hospital in the district due to critical condition, confirmed Madhukhali police station’s Officer-in-Charge Miraj Hossain. Witnesses said thousands of villagers formed a human demanding arrest of the accused on Dhaka-Khulna highway in Madhukhali Sadar in the morning and later brought out a protest procession which started heading towards Dumain Panchapalli where the lynching occurred last Thursday. Read more: HC directs judicial inquiry to identify those responsible for topsoil depletion in Satkania Being barred from the law enforcers, the villagers became angry over the matter and started hurling brickbats targeting the enforcers, resulting in a chase and counter-chase for the three hours. Due to the clash, hundreds of vehicles got stuck on both sides of the road, causing immense suffering amid the scorching heat. Deputy Commissioner Md Qamrul Ahsan Talukder said he tried to assuage the agitated villagers but they didn’t pay heed to it. “On behalf of the administration, we will consider the demand for which you are agitating with utmost importance. But the protesters did not respond to the administration's call and continued their programme,” he said. Additional superintendent of police Md Imdad Hossain said following the Panchapalli incident, protesters tried to block the road from Madhukhali Sadar to Kamarkhali, while police tried to disperse them by firing tear gas and blank bullets at some places. “We completely cleared the road by 3 pm. Vehicular movement is now normal,” the police officer said. Read more: Money Embezzlement Case: HC issues rule on bail of Major Mannan and 6 others

Roads in Bangladesh have become more dangerous with fatalities and injuries almost every day and the two highways from Dhaka to Khulna and Barishal are two of those which have witnessed 320 fatalities in the past one year. Unskilled drivers, over-speed, negligence of authorities concerned and rules violation are blamed for the frequent road accidents on highways although the highway police claimed that several measures have been taken to reduce road accidents. The recent deadly road crash on Dhaka-Khulna highway that claimed 15 lives raised question whether these measures were adequate to control the fatal accidents . On April 16, 15 people including five members of a family died in a collision between a bus and a pick-up van on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Kanaipur of Faridpur district. A five-member probe body was formed to investigate the accident and  two more members including an expert from Buet were also included in the committee, headed by Additional district Magistrate Ali Siddique. Faridpur road crash: 18-month old loses both parents The committee was asked to submit its report within three working days. At least one representative from the Roads and Highways division, Highway police, district police and Fire Service were also included in the committee. National Committee to protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) said the authorities concerned including police and BRTA can’t avoid responsibility for the Faridpur road crash on Dhaka-Khulna highway. Condemning the authorities’ negligence, the NCPSRR said although carrying passengers on trucks, pick-up vans and good- laden vehicles is prohibited the vehicle was heading towards Dhaka from Faridpur’s Boalmari with 25-30 passengers on board. On March 8, three people died and ten others were injured when a bus overturned on Dhaka-Barishal highway in Bhanga. Besides, nine people died in separate accidents in January. Roads and Highways division and highway police blame over-speed, unskilled drivers, reckless plying of motorbikes and pedestrians’ desperate bid to cross the highways behind the accidents and fatalities. 5-member probe body formed over Faridpur road crash According to Faridpur Highway Police sources, the length of the Bangabandhu Expressway from Jatrabari in Dhaka to Bhanga in Faridpur is 55 kilometers. Of these, 32 kilometers are from Jatrabari to Padma Bridge and 23 kilometers from Janjira to Bhanga. In the last one year, 131 people were killed in 135 accidents on the expressway and of these, 63 accidents occurred in Bhanga portion that claimed lives of 67 people. There are five highway police stations, one police outpost and two camps under the 381 km highway in Madaripur region. Shahinur Alam Khan, superintendent of Madaripur Region highway police, said 320 lives were lost on the two highways in the last one year but a number of measures have been taken to prevent road crashes. In the past one year, 28,404 cases were filed and Tk 9,43,26,200 was fined for reckless driving on the two highways, said the SP. Police, BRTA can’t avoid responsibility for fatal Faridpur road crash: National Committee Besides, 271 cases were filed in 432 road accidents on Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Barishal highways, he said. Morshed Alam, superintendent of Faridpur police, said the owners and transport workers must play a big role alongside the passengers to stop accidents on highways. Besides, the residents along the highways have to be more responsible while using highways, he said.

At least 13 people were dead and 15 others were injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a pickup van on the Dhaka-Khulna highway at Sadar upazila in Faridpur district this morning (April 16, 2024). All the victims were passengers of the pickup van, and five of them were from the same family. Two dead, 20 injured in head-on collision between buses in Mymensingh Some of the deceased were identified as Rafiq Mollah, 35, his wife Sumi Begum, 23, his sons Ruhan Mollah, 6, and Habib Mollah, 3, and Rafiq's mother. Rafiq worked as a liftman at a government office in Dhaka. After the Eid holidays, he was returning to Dhaka with his family. The identities of the other deceased could not be known immediately.

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

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.

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."

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

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.

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.

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.