Miscreants set a Dhaka-bound passenger bus on fire at Tara Bridge area of Manikganj Sadar upazila on Dhaka-Aricha highway during hartal this morning (October 29, 2023).  Although there were no casualties, most parts of the bus were burnt.  Read: Buses to ply amid BNP-Jaamat's hartal Sunday Being informed, the fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after half an hour of efforts.  Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Golra Highway Police Station Sukhendu Basu said that some men got on the bus in the guise of passengers. When the bus crossed the Tara Bridge, they stopped the bus and called all the passengers to leave the bus.  Read: BNP calls countrywide hartal tomorrow  “Later, the bus was set on fire. Efforts are on to nab the miscreants and bring them to book,” the OC said. 

The body of an unidentified man was recovered by the Dhaka-Aricha Highway under Dhamrai upazila of Dhaka this morning, police said.  Azizul Huq, officer-in-charge of Savar Highway Police Station, said the deceased, aged around 35, and was wearing lungi and T-shirt.  Locals spotted the body by the highway in Dautiya area near Kalampur Bus Stand this morning and informed police in this regard, he said.  Read more: Unidentified man's body recovered from Jatrabari pavement The body was recovered from the spot around 9am and brought to the police station, the OC said, adding that a process was underway to take legal actions in this connection. OC Azizul said that the victim may have died after being hit by a vehicle.

The Jahangirnagar University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Friday blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, protesting the anarchy unleashed by BNP in the capital's Nayapaltan on Wednesday. It caused immense sufferings to the people who attempted to reach or leave the capital city. The BCL action came ahead of the BNP's Dhaka rally on Saturday, The BCL brought out a procession at 4:00pm and blocked the highway for about one hour. Akhteruzzaman Sohel, president of JU BCL unit said, "We are in the street to protest against the attack on law enforcement agencies by BNP leaders and activists at Nayapaltan". Read more: BNP set to hold rally in Dhaka to start simultaneous anti-govt movement "However, we are keeping an eye on the smooth journey of emergency vehicles including ambulances", he added. Mohammad Roni Hossain, assistant proctor of Jahangirnagar University, said the JU BCL unit took to the street to protest against the BNP's ongoing terrorism and anarchy. But emergency services remained normal despite the blockade, he said.

Six people including three officials of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) were killed and 40 others injured as a bus rammed two vehicles at Boliarpur on Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar Sunday morning. Four of the deceased were identified as BAEC engineer Kawsar Hossain, 33, testing officer Arifuzzaman, 32, scientific officer Puja Sarkar, 33, and bus driver Rajib, 30, said SI Sabur Khan, in-charge of Aminbazar police outpost. The identities of two other deceased couldn’t be known immediately, said he. Of the injured, 15 are undergoing treatment in critical condition at Enam Medical College and Hospital in Savar. According to the police, a speeding bus ploughed through a road divider after its driver lost control over the steering and then crashed into a minibus carrying BAEC staff and a cattle-laden truck at the same time. Also read:Truck driver held after engineer’s death in Bagerhat road crash Three people died on the spot and 40 others sustained injuries, SI Sabur said.   On information, Savar Fire Service members and police reached the spot and rushed the injured to Enam Medical College and Hospital in Savar. Severely injured bus driver Rajib and the two unidentified people died while undergoing treatment there, said hospital sources. Also read: Out on joyride to visit Padma Bridge, 5 killed in Keraniganj road crash The bodies of the deceased were recovered by Savar Police, said the SI.

Three people including a woman and her son were killed and fifteen others injured when a bus crashed into a roadside tree on Dhaka-Aricha highway at Muljan in Sadar upazila of Manikganj district on Wednesday. Two of the deceased were identified as Hasna Begum, 50, Hafizul Islam, 35, son of Hasna of Nischintapur village in Tangail district while the identity of another deceased could not be known immediately. Also read: Road crashes claim 589 lives in March: Report Abdur Rauf Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said the accident occurred around 2 pm when the Dhaka-bound ‘Village Line Paribahan’ bus hit the tree after its driver lost control over steering, leaving two people dead on the spot and 16 others injured. One of the injured died on way to hospital and the rest were admitted to 250-bed Sadar Hospital. Also read: 3 killed, 12 injured in Magura road crash On information, police seized the bus but its driver and helper managed to flee the scene.

As many as 20 people were injured as a fire broke out at a warehouse off the Dhaka-Aricha highway in the Rajphulbaria bus stand area of Savar early on Thursday. Sources at the fire services department said the blaze started in the morning and soon engulfed the warehouse belonging to Singer Refrigerators. On information, 11 fire tenders rushed to spot and it took them some time to douse the flames. Read: Leather factory in Narayanganj catches fire Sources claimed the fire spread rapidly because of the presence of chemicals, colours and other flammable materials inside the warehouse on the outskirts of the capital. However, the origin of the fire is yet to be ascertained. "As many as 20 people, including firemen, sustained injuries in the blaze. The firemen suffered injuries while dousing the flames," the sources said. "Traffic on the Dhaka-Aricha highway remained suspended till 11.25 am due to the fire," said Mazharul Islam, officer-in-charge of Savar Model police station. Read: Rupganj factory fire : Families receive remains of 24 victims Power supply in the area has also been disconnected, causing inconvenience to hundreds of local residents.

Commuters heading home ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr had to suffer through a 12km tailback on the Dhaka-Aricha highway on Wednesday. Massive traffic jams were witnessed on the highway from Tepra point to Baniajuri point, which forced many people to walk a couple of kilometres. Read: 20- km tailback on Dhaka-Aricha highway Sources said that lakhs of people have crossed the river on ferries since morning. All the 17 ferries are operating to cater to the mad rush of home-bound people. Some 800 vehicles and 10,000 people have crossed the river till Wednesday noon, officials said. Authorities, meanwhile, claimed that people will not face any difficulties in crossing rivers as ferry services are available. UNB found that hundreds of people reached the Daulatdia-Paturia ghat area in the afternoon on rickshaws, foot and other vehicles, defying all lockdown norms. Police have installed a number of check-posts on the highway, including in the Barbaria, Singair and Dhalla areas. Though the cops forced many vehicles coming from other districts to return, passengers were quick to get off the vehicles and head towards the ferry ghat on foot. Amid a mad rush of home-bound people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Banglabazar routes were suspended to curb the spread of Covid-19. Read:BGB deployed on Paturia-Daulatdia, Shimulia-Banglabazar routes Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) said the decision to suspend ferry services on the two busy water routes, with effect from Saturday morning, was taken in the wake of the ongoing second wave of coronavirus. But the mad rush of home-bound people later forced them to resume the ferry services.  

A 20-km tailback has been created on Dhaka-Aricha highway due to the mad rush of homebound people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr defying the restriction on movement amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Visiting the highway, the UNB correspondent found that a long queue of vehicles on the road, stretching from Savar Bus Stand to Gabtoli Bridge area. Also Read: Ferry services suspended to contain spread of Covid People including women and children are set to go to their village home to celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones ignoring heath safety protocols. In absence of public transport, people hired microbus, pick-up vans, and private vehicles to leave Dhaka. Besides, many people were seen travelling on goods-laden trucks. Read 5-km long tailback on Dhaka-Chattogram highway A traffic police wishing not to be named said the tailback has created due to heavy pressure of private vehicles alongside the public transport. Some long-route passengers said they boarded local bus from Savar and their destination was Amin Bazar. Later, they crossed the bridge on foot and boarded another bus from Gabtoli to reach their respective destinations. Anwar Hossain, a resident of Gabtoli, said “I along with six of my family members started journey around 6 am. Now it’s 11:30 am. We are still at Amin Bazar point.” Also Read: BGB deployed on Paturia-Daulatdia, Shimulia-Banglabazar routes Arnab Shaha, a student of Jahangirnagar University, said “I boarded a Savar-bound bus around 10 am. Now it’s 12:45 pm. The bus is stuck at Baliarpur for the last two hours. I have no idea whether I can go home before Iftar.” However, people are so reluctant in maintaining health guidelines and social distance though the government has allowed intra-city transport services on condition of maintaining health guidelines. Read Dhaka-Khulna highway turns death trap

A 40-kilometer tailback was created on Dhaka-Aricha highway on Friday, causing huge sufferings and anxiety to Eid holidaymakers and Dhaka-bound cattle traders.

In an effort to prevent transmission of Coronavirus and to tackle the movement of people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the authorities concerned have suspended ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Kathalbari routes from Monday.