At least 20 people, including women and children, were injured after a passenger bus carrying a wedding party lost control and plunged into a roadside ditch in Chaugachha upazila of Jashore on Saturday morning. Hospital authorities said that ten of the injured were in a critical condition and were transferred to Jashore General Hospital for advanced treatment, while others received primary care at a local health facility.
The accident occurred on 24 January in the morning hours at the Tengurpur intersection on the Chaugachha–Maheshpur road, a busy regional route frequently used by long-distance and local passenger vehicles. According to police and eyewitness accounts, the bus belonged to “Garai Paribahan”, a public transport service operating on the Jashore Monihar–Khulna route. It was returning to Nowapara in Jashore after attending a wedding ceremony in Bathangachhi village of Maheshpur upazila, carrying members of the groom’s family and guests.
As the bus approached the Tengurpur junction, the driver reportedly failed to notice a speed breaker ahead. The sudden impact caused the vehicle to veer off the road and crash into a ditch beside the highway. At the time of the accident, approximately 65 passengers were on board. Many of them were thrown from their seats due to the force of the impact, resulting in fractures, deep cuts, and other serious injuries.
Among the injured were elderly passengers, young adults, and teenagers. Several suffered broken arms and legs, while others sustained head injuries and multiple wounds. Locals rushed to the scene immediately after the crash, helping passengers out of the damaged bus before alerting Chaugachha police and the fire service.
Emergency responders arrived promptly and carried out a coordinated rescue operation. The injured were first taken to Chaugachha Upazila Government Model Hospital, where doctors provided emergency treatment. Due to the severity of their injuries, ten patients were later referred to the 250-bed Jashore General Hospital.
Anwar Hossain, leader of the Chaugachha Fire Service unit, said the bus lost control at the intersection and fell into the ditch. “We responded quickly after receiving the report and ensured that the injured were rescued and sent to hospital without delay,” he said.
Dr Akheri Zaman, an emergency department physician at the upazila hospital, confirmed that several patients were in a critical state and required specialised care. Chaugachha Police Station officer-in-charge Rezaul Karim stated that police assisted in the rescue operation alongside the fire service and that the circumstances of the accident were under investigation.
Key Details of the Accident
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Tengurpur intersection, Chaugachha |
| Date | Saturday, 24 January |
| Time | Morning |
| Bus operator | Garai Paribahan |
| Route | Jashore Monihar–Khulna |
| Passengers on board | Approximately 65 |
| Injured | At least 20 |
| Critically injured | 10 |
| Primary cause | Failure to notice speed breaker |
The incident has once again highlighted concerns over road safety, driver awareness, and the need for clearer signage and speed control measures on regional highways to prevent such accidents in the future.