An 18-year-old HSC candidate in Bangladesh was killed alongside his father in a road accident just hours before he was due to sit a practical examination, turning what should have been an important day in his academic life into a family tragedy.
Ramdayal Sarker, 18, was preparing for his Higher Secondary Certificate practical examination at home on Saturday night when he received a call from his father, Tapas Kumar Sarker, 43, asking him to come to Bogura. Ramdayal travelled to the city, unaware that he would never return home alive.
The accident occurred in the Chhilimpur area of Bogura on Sunday morning. Ramdayal and his father were among three people killed when another lorry collided with their stationary vehicle. The family home is in Ramchandrapur neighbourhood of Sherpur municipality.
Ramdayal was a science student at Summit School and College in Sherpur. He was scheduled to sit his Information and Communication Technology practical examination at the centre on Sunday morning. Instead, his body was brought home with that of his father.
According to family members, Tapas Kumar was involved in the transport business and owned two lorries, one of which he drove himself. On Saturday night, one of the vehicles broke down in the Chhilimpur area. After receiving the news, Ramdayal took Tk30,000 from home to help with repairs and went to his father’s location.
While the lorry was stationary, another lorry crashed into it. The impact claimed the lives of Tapas Kumar, Ramdayal and another person. The circumstances surrounding the collision left the family facing an unbearable loss within a matter of hours.
The tragedy has cast a pall of grief over Ramchandrapur. Relatives, neighbours and local residents gathered at the family home as news of the deaths spread.
Ramdayal’s mother, Dipali Rani Sarker, 35, has been left without both her husband and only child. Family members said she repeatedly lost consciousness after learning of the accident. When she regained consciousness, she reportedly cried: “I have no one left.”
Tapas Kumar’s 80-year-old father, Anandamohan Sarker, was also devastated by the deaths of his son and grandson. Their ancestral home is in Mordia village in Raiganj, Sirajganj. The family had moved to Sherpur around 15 years ago, with the hope of providing Ramdayal with better educational opportunities.
Anandamohan said he had lost both his son and grandson and was now left wondering who would look after him.
For the family, the timing of the tragedy has made the loss even more painful. Ramdayal had been preparing for an examination that could have marked another step towards his future. Instead, his family spent the day mourning his death.
A relative, Sagar Kumar Ray, said the bodies of Tapas Kumar and Ramdayal would be taken to their ancestral village after the necessary legal procedures had been completed.
