Four people were killed and 10 others injured after a passenger bus collided head-on with a battery-powered autorickshaw on the Jamalpur–Mymensingh road on Monday night.
The accident took place at around 8pm on 31 August in the Laharikanda area of Jamalpur Sadar upazila. Several of the injured are reportedly in a critical condition and are receiving medical treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Jalal Uddin, 60, son of the late Yunus Ali of Baitkamari area; Mokbul Hossain, 65, son of the late Atahar Ali of Tulsipur area; Rubel Mia, 43, a resident of Bajrapur in Jamalpur town and an assistant to the bus driver; and Saddam Hossain, 30, from Baitkamari area.
According to police and local residents, a Rajib Paribahan bus had left Jamalpur town for Dhaka. When it reached the Laharikanda area at around 8pm, it collided with a battery-powered autorickshaw travelling in the opposite direction.
The force of the collision caused the bus driver to lose control. The bus overturned on the road and subsequently fell on the autorickshaw, leaving several people trapped underneath. Two people travelling in the autorickshaw and two people on the bus died at the scene.
Local residents rushed to the accident site immediately after the crash and began helping the injured. Fire Service personnel later arrived and carried out a rescue operation. They recovered the four bodies from beneath the overturned bus before sending them to the morgue of Jamalpur General Hospital.
The accident brought traffic on the Jamalpur–Mymensingh highway to a complete standstill. As the overturned bus remained on the road, vehicles became stranded on both sides, creating long queues and causing significant disruption for passengers and motorists.
The damaged bus was eventually removed from the road at around 10pm, after which traffic began moving again.
The crash also triggered anger among local residents. They alleged that buses operated at excessive speed in the area and claimed that accidents occurred there repeatedly. Following the latest incident, residents blocked the Jamalpur–Mymensingh highway, demanding action against those responsible and improved road safety measures.
The road blockade further worsened the traffic situation, with vehicles unable to pass through the affected section for a period of time.
Jamalpur Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nazmus Sakib confirmed that four people had died in the accident and several others had been injured. He said the bodies had been recovered and sent to Jamalpur General Hospital.
Police said legal action would be taken after receiving a formal complaint. The circumstances surrounding the collision, including how the bus lost control and the events leading up to the crash, are expected to be examined as part of the investigation.
The accident has once again raised concerns over road safety in the area, particularly regarding vehicle speed and the risks faced by passengers travelling in smaller vehicles such as battery-powered autorickshaws.
