State Minister for Public Administration and Food Abdul Bari and his wife were injured after the government vehicle carrying them lost control and crashed into a paddy field beside a highway in Bogura on Friday morning.
The accident occurred at around 8.45am near Gopinathpur, close to Kichak Bazar in Shibganj upazila, on the Joypurhat regional highway. A pedestrian was also injured after being struck by the vehicle.
The injured pedestrian was identified as Firoza Begum, 60, wife of the late Nizam Uddin of Gopinathpur village. She was taken to TMSS Medical College Hospital in Bogura, where she was admitted for treatment.
Abdul Bari and his wife, Nazma Ara Begum, were taken to the 400-bed Joypurhat General Hospital following the crash. Both received medical treatment there. The extent of their injuries was not immediately detailed, although Nazma Ara said that both she and the minister had sustained injuries to several parts of their bodies.
According to police and eyewitnesses, Abdul Bari was travelling from Dhaka to Kalai upazila in Joypurhat, which is his electoral constituency. His wife was accompanying him in the government vehicle. A police security vehicle was also travelling with them.
When the convoy reached the Gopinathpur area near Kichak Bazar, the police vehicle moved ahead. Shortly afterwards, Firoza Begum attempted to cross the highway from one side to the other. She reportedly came into the path of the minister’s vehicle.
The driver attempted to avoid hitting the pedestrian but subsequently lost control of the vehicle. The car veered off the highway and came to rest in the adjacent paddy field.
Nazma Ara Begum said the pedestrian suddenly attempted to cross the road immediately after the police vehicle had passed. According to her account, the driver tried to save the woman, causing the vehicle to lose control before leaving the road and entering the field.
The incident highlights the risks faced by pedestrians and motorists on busy regional highways, particularly where people cross roads without designated crossing facilities. Sudden movement by pedestrians can leave drivers with very little time to react, while attempts to make abrupt evasive manoeuvres can themselves result in a loss of vehicle control.
Shahinjuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Shibganj Police Station, said the minister and his wife were later taken to Joypurhat in another vehicle. Police were also working to recover the damaged government vehicle from the site of the accident.
The police have not provided further details about the condition of the vehicle or indicated whether any additional factors contributed to the crash. The immediate account from the police and witnesses points to the attempt to avoid the pedestrian as the sequence that preceded the vehicle leaving the highway.
