Early on Sunday morning, 22 March, a tragic road accident claimed the lives of four people on the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway in the Andura area of Habiganj District. Locals first noticed household items floating near a roadside ditch, prompting a closer inspection that revealed a pickup van submerged in water. Emergency services were immediately alerted.
According to eyewitnesses, the scene was discovered around 8:00 a.m. by villagers heading to nearby agricultural fields. They observed scattered debris, including broken glass and furniture, and initially could not determine its source. Upon closer inspection, they identified the partially submerged vehicle, from which four bodies were subsequently recovered.
The deceased have been identified as a 32-year-old woman, an 11-year-old child, and two adult men. Eyewitness Shahin Khandakar suggested that the collision may have involved another vehicle. “We found fragments of a bus’s front glass and copies of passenger tickets near the site. It appears that an unidentified bus may have struck the pickup from behind, causing it to veer off the road and fall into the ditch,” he said.
The Shayestaganj Highway Police Station responded promptly, transporting the victims to a local hospital before retrieving the van from the water. Officer-in-Charge Abu Taher Dewan confirmed that investigations are ongoing. “We are working to identify the deceased and determine the full circumstances surrounding this incident,” he stated.
Preliminary Accident Details
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Location | Andura, Habiganj District |
| Date & Time | Sunday, 22 March, 8:00 a.m. |
| Number of Fatalities | 4 |
| Victim Profile | Woman: ~32; Child: 11; Men: 2 adults |
| Possible Cause | Rear-end collision by unidentified bus, vehicle fell into ditch |
| Recovery Team | Local residents, Shayestaganj Highway Police |
| Vehicle Type | Pickup van |
| Other Evidence | Bus front glass fragments, passenger ticket copies |
Police investigations remain at an early stage, but preliminary findings suggest that the pickup van was forced off the road by a rear-end impact, leading to the deaths. Authorities hope to notify the victims’ families once identification is complete and to establish a clear account of the incident.
The accident has once again highlighted the risks posed by high-speed vehicles on Bangladesh’s highways and the urgent need for reinforced road safety measures. Local officials have called for stricter monitoring of traffic and enforcement of safety regulations to prevent similar tragedies in the future.