A female teacher from Rakudia Dakhil Madrasa lost her life on Tuesday morning after being struck by a speeding passenger coach on the Dhaka-Barisal Highway in Babuganj, Barisal.

The victim, 45-year-old Rehana Begum, served as an assistant teacher (Qari) at the madrasa and was the wife of the institution’s superintendent, Maulana Nasiruddin.

The accident occurred at approximately 9:40 AM in the West Rakudia area, situated at the incline of the Dwarika-Shikarpur Bridge. According to eyewitnesses and local police, Begum was attempting to cross the busy highway when an Ahnaf Paribahan bus, operated by the Labiba company and traveling at high speed from Dhaka toward Barisal, struck her violently. The impact threw her to the side of the road, causing critical injuries to her head and body.

Colleagues from the nearby madrasa rushed to the scene upon hearing the news and arranged for her immediate transport to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barisal city. Despite emergency medical intervention, she succumbed to severe internal bleeding at around 11:30 AM while undergoing treatment.

News of her death sparked widespread outrage among the students of Rakudia Dakhil Madrasa. Demanding justice for their deceased teacher and stricter road safety measures on the notoriously dangerous highway, hundreds of students gathered on the thoroughfare and blocked all vehicular movement. The protest caused a severe traffic gridlock spanning several kilometres on both sides of the highway, stranding hundreds of commuters and long-distance transport vehicles for nearly an hour.

Officers from Babuganj Police Station and the local Highway Police arrived at the scene shortly after to calm the situation. Law enforcement personnel managed to restore order after intercepting and impounding several buses belonging to the Labiba transport company. Following assurances of legal action from the authorities, the students lifted the blockade, allowing traffic flow to gradually resume.

Mizanur Rahman, the Officer-in-Charge of Babuganj Police Station, confirmed the casualty and stated that standard legal proceedings against the transport company and the responsible vehicle are currently underway.