Child Dies After Being Struck by Autorickshaw in Tejgaon

DHAKA — A two-and-a-half-year-old girl lost her life after being struck by a fast-moving, battery-powered autorickshaw in the capital’s Tejgaon Industrial Area on Tuesday afternoon. The tragic accident occurred at approximately 5:00 pm at the Begunbari slope, once again highlighting the severe safety risks posed by unauthorised electric three-wheelers operating across metropolitan streets.

The victim, identified as Nowrin, was the daughter of Nazim Miah, a local van driver. Recounting the harrowing sequence of events, a distraught Nazim Miah explained that he was preparing to leave his residence for work in the late afternoon when the toddler insisted on accompanying him. Responding to her request, the family decided to step out for a short walk together. Nazim Miah, his wife Shirina Begum, Nowrin, and their infant son Sojib were walking alongside the road when the toddler suddenly broke away from her father’s grasp and stepped forward onto the open street.

A Fatal Collision

Before her parents could react, a speeding battery-powered autorickshaw struck the young girl with immense force. The impact threw the child onto the hard tarmac, causing severe, traumatic head injuries. Family members and panicked bystanders immediately rescued the unconscious toddler from the road and rushed her to a local healthcare facility. As her condition rapidly deteriorated, she was transferred to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where attending physicians formally pronounced her dead upon arrival later that evening.

The proliferation of these improvised three-wheelers, locally referred to as battery-run autorickshaws or easy-bikes, remains a highly contentious issue in Dhaka. Despite several official directives and judicial restrictions aimed at banning their movement on primary urban corridors due to structural instability and frequent brake failures, the vehicles continue to operate extensively within low-income neighbourhoods and industrial zones. Because these high-speed, virtually silent vehicles frequently navigate narrow alleyways and steep gradients like the Begunbari slope without formal regulatory oversight, they pose a continuous hazard to pedestrians, particularly young children.

The legal ambiguity surrounding battery-operated three-wheelers continues to claim innocent lives on city streets, transforming routine family walks into sudden tragedies.

Police Investigation Commences

Confirming the casualty, Inspector Mohammad Faruk, the officer-in-charge of the DMCH Police Camp, stated that the toddler’s body has been transferred to the hospital mortuary for standard administrative formalities. The hospital authorities have formally notified the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station regarding the details of the fatal vehicular accident.

Law enforcement officials have launched a preliminary enquiry to locate the vehicle involved and apprehend the driver, who reportedly fled the scene immediately after the collision. Meanwhile, the sudden loss has left the working-class family in deep shock, with neighbours gathering at their residence to offer condolences and demanding stricter regulation of hazardous transport vehicles in residential sectors.