A wave of profound sorrow has swept through a community in Lakshmipur after a madrasa teacher, his wife, and their two children were laid to rest side by side following a devastating road accident that claimed all four lives as they were returning to Dhaka after the Eid holidays.
The deceased—Mufti Abdul Momin, his wife Jhorna Begum (40), their son Saif (7), and daughter Labiba (18)—were buried on Friday afternoon after funeral prayers held following Jumu’ah. Their burial took place in a family graveyard in Titarkandi village under Charshahi Union in Lakshmipur Sadar upazila, at the residence of Momin’s in-laws.
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Funeral marked by grief and solidarity
The janaza prayer was held at the Bashahaji Patwari Bari Jame Mosque, drawing a large gathering of mourners from surrounding areas. Friends, relatives, students, and local residents assembled to pay their final respects, many visibly overcome with emotion.
The prayer was led by Maulana Faisal Ahmad, Central Organising Secretary of Khelafat Majlis and brother-in-law of the deceased. Following the prayer, the four family members were buried in adjacent graves—a deeply symbolic act reflecting their unity in life and their shared fate in death.
Witnesses described the burial as heart-rending, with the sight of four graves aligned side by side leaving a lasting impression on those present.
Life and background of the victims
Mufti Abdul Momin was a respected educator who had been teaching at a madrasa in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, for several years. Originally from Senbagh upazila in Noakhali, he was the son of the late Yunus Munshi of Chatarpaiya Union.
Due to his professional commitments, Momin spent most of his time in Dhaka. However, during religious festivals such as Eid, he would return with his family to Lakshmipur, where they stayed at his in-laws’ home. Family members revealed that he had long planned to purchase land in his native village and eventually settle there permanently—a dream that remained tragically unfulfilled.
Circumstances of the fatal accident
The accident occurred on Thursday evening along the busy Dhaka–Chattogram Highway in the Kalakachua area of Cumilla. According to initial reports, a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a private car resulted in the immediate deaths of all four members of Momin’s family.
The driver of the private car, Jamal Hossain (52), a resident of Barishal, also died in the crash.
Incident overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Deceased | Mufti Abdul Momin, Jhorna Begum, Saif (7), Labiba (18) |
| Additional fatality | Jamal Hossain (driver, 52) |
| Location of accident | Kalakachua, Cumilla (Dhaka–Chattogram Highway) |
| Time | Thursday evening |
| Burial location | Titarkandi village, Lakshmipur |
| Burial arrangement | Four adjacent graves |
| Occupation (Momin) | Madrasa teacher in Mohammadpur, Dhaka |
Family grief and community response
Speaking after the burial, Maulana Faisal Ahmad expressed profound grief, describing the loss as “beyond comprehension”. He noted that losing four members of a single family in one incident had left relatives and the wider community in deep shock.
Neighbours and acquaintances described Momin as a devoted father and a committed teacher who was highly regarded for his humility and dedication to education. Many recalled his close bond with his children and his aspirations to build a stable family life in his hometown.
Local residents also voiced concern about the recurring dangers of highway travel, particularly during peak travel periods such as Eid, when traffic congestion and long-distance journeys increase significantly.
Renewed concerns over highway safety
The tragedy has once again highlighted persistent concerns regarding road safety on Bangladesh’s major highways, especially the Dhaka–Chattogram route—one of the country’s busiest transport corridors. Fatal collisions involving buses and smaller vehicles remain a frequent occurrence, often attributed to speeding, overtaking, and inadequate enforcement of traffic regulations.
Authorities have yet to release a detailed investigation report into the cause of the crash, though inquiries are expected to examine driver behaviour, vehicle condition, and road circumstances at the time of the incident.
A loss that resonates beyond numbers
While road accidents are often recorded in statistics, the loss of an entire family has deeply resonated with many across the region. The image of four graves lying side by side stands as a stark and poignant reminder of the human cost behind such tragedies.
As mourning continues, prayers are being offered for the departed, while calls intensify for improved road safety measures, stricter enforcement, and greater public awareness to help prevent similar heartbreaking incidents in the future.