A 59-year-old battery-powered auto-rickshaw driver died after his vehicle was struck by a speeding Probox car on the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram on Tuesday, 20 October.
The fatal accident occurred at approximately 5:30 pm in the Barotakia Bypass area. The victim, identified as Sadek Mia, sustained serious injuries in the collision and died while being transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for advanced medical treatment.
Sadek was the son of Mojibul Haque Mistry, a resident of Maulana Abdul Jabbar Bari in the Saidali area of Mayani Union No. 13 under Mirsarai upazila.
According to local sources, Sadek was travelling through the Barotakia Bazar bypass area in his battery-powered auto-rickshaw on Tuesday afternoon when a Probox car, reportedly travelling at high speed, collided with his vehicle.
The force of the impact left him critically injured, particularly around his head, resulting in substantial bleeding.
Local residents immediately came forward to assist the injured driver and transported him to a nearby hospital for medical attention. However, his condition deteriorated, prompting arrangements to transfer him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, a major government healthcare facility in the region.
Despite efforts to obtain further treatment, Sadek succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital.
An eyewitness, Md Faruk, described the collision and the events that followed.
Faruk said the Probox car struck Sadek’s auto-rickshaw near the Barotakia Bypass, leaving the driver severely injured. He reported that Sadek was bleeding heavily from his head following the impact.
Local people subsequently rescued him and arranged medical assistance. When his condition worsened, he was referred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, but he died during the journey.
The accident took place on one of Bangladesh’s busiest transport corridors. The Dhaka–Chattogram Highway connects the capital with the country’s principal seaport and serves as a major route for passenger transport and commercial vehicles.
Traffic along the highway includes buses, lorries, private cars and smaller vehicles. Collisions involving vehicles of significantly different sizes can have particularly serious consequences for drivers and passengers travelling in smaller vehicles.
Tuesday’s accident illustrates the dangers associated with such collisions, particularly when excessive speed is reported as a contributing factor. However, the precise circumstances surrounding the incident have yet to be established by the authorities.
Meanwhile, Asaduzzaman, the officer-in-charge of Jorarganj Highway Police Station, confirmed Sadek’s death and said police had taken steps to gather information about the accident.
He stated that a police team had been dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of the collision.
Officers were collecting information from the accident site, and further details would be provided once the initial inquiries were completed.
The available information did not establish the identity or whereabouts of the Probox driver, nor did it confirm whether any legal proceedings had been initiated following the incident.
Police have also not yet provided a detailed account of the circumstances that led to the collision.
The death of Sadek Mia has once again drawn attention to the risks faced by drivers of smaller vehicles on major highways, where collisions with faster-moving traffic can result in devastating injuries.
Further information from the highway police is expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident, including the events leading up to the collision and any subsequent action taken by the authorities.
