United News of Bangladesh

A 24-year-old woman was killed following a collision between two rickshaws, including a battery-run one, in the city’s Chawkbazar area early Thursday, said police. The deceased was identified as Umme Salma, 24, of Bhola district. She completed her post-graduation from Eden College recently. Salma’s cousin Md Hasan said she came to Dhaka this morning after Eid vacation and was going to her hostel at Azimpur from Sadarghat in a battery-run rickshaw with Hasan. The accident occurred around 4am when a wheel of their rickshaw got stuck in a hole in Islambag area and it overturned after being hit by another speeding rickshaw, leaving Salma seriously injured. Read: Four killed in Barishal road accident She was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where doctors declared her dead on arrival, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of the DMCH Police Outpost. The body was kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy, he added.

Though rickshaws are largely blamed for slowing down Dhaka’s traffic, the authorities concerned are unable to remove the three-wheelers from the capital for lack of a comprehensive plan, said experts.

Mentioning that rickshaws are still a vital mode of public transportation in the capital, speakers at a roundtable discussion here on Tuesday said banning those will not help reduce traffic jam in the mega city.