A journey to Dhaka for a crucial step in her professional career ended in tragedy as Sheikh Misha Khatun, a former University of Dhaka student, was killed in a road accident in Gopalganj on Sunday.
Misha Khatun was travelling from Khulna to Dhaka to appear for the viva voce of the 50th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination. She was among three people who died after a Tungipara Express bus lost control and fell into a roadside ditch in Mukসudpur.
The accident occurred at around 10am on Sunday (6 September) in the Salinaboksha area of Mukসudpur upazila on the Dhaka-Khulna highway. The bus was travelling along the busy highway when it reportedly lost control before plunging into the ditch. Misha was one of the passengers killed in the crash.
Her death has caused particular grief at the University of Dhaka, where she had studied Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering as part of the department’s 35th batch. She later entered professional life and was working as a chemical examiner at the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution in Khulna.
Despite having an established career, Misha continued to pursue further professional opportunities. Her decision to sit the 50th BCS viva reflected an ambition to take her career forward and explore new possibilities in public service. She had therefore set out for the capital with a specific professional goal when the fatal accident occurred.
The circumstances surrounding her death have made the tragedy particularly poignant for her former university community. A journey undertaken for an important career milestone instead became her final journey.
The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) expressed deep sorrow over her death. In its condolence message, the organisation described Misha as a talented former student and a promising individual whose untimely death represented an irreparable loss.
According to the condolence statement, Misha had already established herself professionally through her work at the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution in Khulna. Yet she continued to pursue her aspirations, preparing to attend the oral examination of the 50th BCS recruitment process.
The statement was signed by DUCSU General Secretary SM Farhad. It conveyed prayers for the peace of Misha’s departed soul and sought blessings for her to attain Jannatul Ferdous. The student body also expressed its condolences to her grieving family and relatives.
Her death also highlights the devastating consequences that road crashes can have on passengers travelling between major cities and regions. The Dhaka-Khulna highway is an important transport route connecting the capital with southwestern Bangladesh, carrying large numbers of passengers and commercial vehicles.
For Misha’s family, however, the loss is deeply personal. A young professional who was travelling towards Dhaka with hopes of advancing her career will no longer have the opportunity to sit for the examination she had prepared for. Her academic background, professional career and aspirations have now become part of the memory left behind for her family, colleagues, classmates and friends.
