A tragic road accident in Bhanga Upazila, Faridpur, has claimed the life of a 17-year-old college student named Sahida Akter. The incident occurred on Saturday (29 November) at approximately 9:30 am on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway. Sahida, the daughter of Shahadat Sheikh from Swadi village in the Algi Union, had recently passed her HSC examinations from the Business Studies department of Bhanga Mohila College.
According to local witnesses, Sahida was walking along the side of the road when an unidentified passenger bus, travelling from Dhaka towards Khulna, struck her with immense force. She died on the spot due to the severity of her injuries. The news of her untimely demise triggered widespread outrage among local residents and fellow students. In a fit of grief and anger, locals blocked the highway, halting all vehicular movement. Several vehicles were reportedly vandalised during the protest as people demanded the immediate arrest of the driver responsible for the hit-and-run.
Upon receiving the report, officers from the Bhanga Highway Police arrived at the scene to restore order. Sergeant Md. Russel Mia confirmed the fatality, stating, “A college student was fatally struck by a bus around 9:30 am. We have intervened to calm the protesters and have successfully reopened the highway for traffic.” He further assured that the police are working to identify the offending vehicle and that strict legal action will be taken under existing transport laws.
Sahida’s family is currently in deep mourning following the loss of such a bright and promising student. Her classmates have expressed their frustration over the lack of road safety measures and the reckless speeding of public transport on this particular stretch of the highway. Residents have called for more stringent monitoring of driver conduct and vehicle fitness to prevent such avoidable tragedies in the future. The body of the deceased is expected to be handed over to her family following the completion of a post-mortem examination.
GLIVE/TSN