What began as a simple and joyful plan to welcome a winter dawn ended in profound tragedy, as an 18-year-old youth lost his life in a devastating road accident on the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway. The victim, Mohammad Tamim, was killed in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving behind a grieving family and a stunned community. Two of his close friends, who were travelling with him, sustained critical injuries and are currently battling for their lives in hospital.
The accident occurred at around 5:00 a.m. on 16 December in the College Gate area of the busy highway. Tamim, the son of Nizam Uddin, hailed from Marufa village under Pubail Police Station in Gazipur. Like many young people during the winter season, he had eagerly accepted an invitation from friends to enjoy fresh date palm sap — a cherished rural tradition associated with cold mornings and shared companionship.
According to police and family sources, Tamim set out from Marufa village on a motorcycle with two friends, heading towards Gazipur. He was riding the motorcycle himself. The quiet of the early morning and the promise of a simple pleasure marked the start of their journey. However, as they reached the College Gate area, a speeding vehicle struck their motorcycle from behind with tremendous force.
Eyewitnesses reported that the impact was so severe that the motorcycle was thrown off balance, hurling the riders onto opposite sides of the road. Tamim suffered fatal injuries and died instantly at the scene. His two companions were critically injured and initially went unnoticed amid the confusion. Later, concerned passers-by rescued them and rushed them to a hospital in Uttara, where they remain under intensive medical care.
Officer-in-Charge of Tongi West Police Station, Mohammad Shahin Khan, confirmed that police responded swiftly after receiving information about the crash. Tamim’s body was recovered and sent to the hospital morgue for post-mortem examination. He added that an investigation is under way to determine the exact cause of the accident and to identify the vehicle responsible, which fled the scene. Legal proceedings have already been initiated.
Local residents expressed deep concern over reckless driving, noting that although traffic is lighter in the early hours, some vehicles travel at dangerously high speeds. They believe uncontrolled speed and lack of accountability continue to claim innocent lives on major highways.
Tamim’s sudden death has cast a heavy shadow over his family and neighbourhood. Relatives, friends, and neighbours gathered in mourning, struggling to accept how a hopeful dawn journey transformed into a story of irreversible loss. What was meant to be a brief ride filled with laughter and anticipation has instead become a painful reminder of life’s fragility. The invitation to share date palm sap now lingers only as a memory steeped in sorrow.