A seven-year-old boy was killed after being struck by an autorickshaw while attempting to cross a road in Lalmohan upazila of Bhola on Sunday morning.
The accident occurred in front of a Dakhil madrasa in Ward No. 8 of Paschim Char Umed Union at around 10am. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Abdullah, son of Monir Hossain, a resident of Hossain Chowmuhani area in Ward No. 9 of Ramaganj Union in Lalmohan.
According to local residents, Abdullah had been visiting his maternal grandparents’ home in Paschim Char Umed Union with members of his family. On Sunday morning, he was attempting to cross the road in front of the madrasa when an autorickshaw hit him.
Witnesses said the child was running across the road when the collision occurred. He fell onto the road and suffered a serious head injury. People nearby rushed to his aid and arranged for him to be taken to hospital.
Abdullah was subsequently taken to Char Fasson Upazila Health Complex in a critically injured condition. After examining him, the attending doctor declared him dead.
News of the accident quickly spread through the area, leaving local residents shocked. The death also plunged Abdullah’s family into deep grief, particularly as he had been visiting his maternal relatives when the tragedy occurred.
The incident has renewed concern over the safety of children using roads where vehicles travel regularly. At the age of seven, children may have limited ability to judge the speed and distance of approaching vehicles, making unsupervised road crossing particularly hazardous.
Police from Lalmohan Police Station visited the scene after receiving information about the accident. Officer-in-Charge Md Oliul Islam said police had been sent to the location and that necessary legal action was being taken.
Road safety advocates have repeatedly stressed the importance of exercising additional caution around schools, madrasas, residential areas and other places where children are likely to cross roads. Drivers need to reduce speed and remain alert in such locations, while parents and guardians should avoid allowing young children to cross busy roads alone.
The condition of the road and the absence or availability of suitable pedestrian crossing arrangements can also influence the risk of such incidents. Where children regularly cross roads to reach educational institutions or residential areas, measures such as speed controls, warning signs, designated crossing points and greater traffic monitoring can help reduce accidents.
For Abdullah’s family, however, those wider safety concerns come too late. A routine morning visit to relatives ended in the sudden death of a young child, highlighting once again the potentially devastating consequences of even a brief moment of vulnerability on a busy road.
