A pedestrian was killed in a road accident involving dump trucks in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, on Tuesday morning, which subsequently led to public unrest, including the torching of vehicles and damage to law enforcement property.
The deceased was identified as Akkas Ali, 50, a resident of the Charghat Thana Para area. The incident occurred at approximately 7:00 am on Tuesday (5 May) along the highway near the Mazhar area within Puthia upazila.
According to eyewitness accounts, two dump trucks were reportedly engaged in a high-speed competition when they lost control on the highway. One of the vehicles struck Akkas Ali, who was standing by the roadside at the time. He died on the spot due to the impact.
Following the fatal incident, an agitated crowd gathered at the scene. The situation escalated rapidly as the crowd set fire to both dump trucks involved in the accident. Shortly afterwards, a vehicle belonging to the Paba Highway Police arrived at the location, which was also vandalised by the crowd.
Tension further intensified when a journalist, Mohammad Ali of the daily Jaijaidin, who was present at the scene to document the incident, attempted to record video footage. His mobile phone, along with several other devices, was damaged by members of the agitated crowd.
A police team from Puthia Police Station later arrived at the scene; however, they were unable to carry out operations effectively due to resistance from the gathered crowd. Fire service personnel from Puthia Fire Service subsequently reached the location and brought the fire under control.
After several hours of disruption, the situation gradually returned to normal, and vehicular movement on the highway resumed.
Officer-in-Charge of Paba Highway Police Station, Mozammel Haque Kazi, stated that law enforcement responded immediately after being informed of the incident and attempted to bring the situation under control. He also confirmed that their police vehicle was vandalised during the unrest.
Incident Summary
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Victim | Akkas Ali (50) |
| Location | Highway near Mazhar area, Puthia, Rajshahi |
| Time | Tuesday, 5 May, approximately 7:00 am |
| Incident | Collision involving two speeding dump trucks |
| Cause of death | Roadside pedestrian struck by truck |
| Immediate aftermath | Public unrest and arson of vehicles |
| Vehicles damaged | Two dump trucks and one police vehicle |
| Media involvement | Journalist’s mobile phone damaged |
| Fire response | Fire Service Unit from Puthia extinguished fire |
| Police response | Arrived but initially unable to control situation |
| Outcome | Situation later normalised, traffic resumed |
The incident caused temporary disruption on the highway and drew multiple emergency responses from police and fire service units before normal conditions were restored.