A tragic road accident in the heart of Sylhet city has taken the life of a two-year-old boy after the motorcycle carrying his family collided head-on with a three-wheeled auto-rickshaw.
The collision occurred on Tuesday morning in the bustling commercial hub of Zindabazar. Rakibul Islam was travelling towards Bandarbazar on his motorcycle alongside his wife, their young son, Abdullah, and a nephew. Police officers and eyewitnesses reported that the family’s journey was cut short when a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, travelling recklessly on the wrong side of the road, struck the motorcycle head-on.
The force of the impact flung young Abdullah from the front of the motorcycle on to the tarmac, inflicting severe trauma. Local onlookers rushed to the scene immediately, pulling all four family members from the wreckage and transporting them to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. Attending physicians at the emergency unit pronounced the toddler dead upon arrival. The three surviving family members received immediate first aid for their injuries and are expected to recover.
The loss has struck a devastating blow to the family, who reside in the Khasdobir area of Sylhet. Relatives noted that Rakibul married in 2019, and after nearly six years of waiting, the couple welcomed Abdullah into their lives. Ashiqur Rahman Khan, a colleague of the father, recalled how the birth of the long-awaited child had brought immense joy to the household, a stark contrast to the grief now overwhelming the family.
Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khan Muhammad Mainul Zakir confirmed the details of the crash, stating that law enforcement seized the auto-rickshaw at the scene. The driver fled immediately after the impact, and police have launched an active search to identify and apprehend the suspect to face legal proceedings.
Zindabazar remains one of the most densely populated and commercially active corridors in Sylhet, accommodating heavy pedestrian traffic and thousands of daily commuter vehicles. Local residents and road safety advocates frequently cite the dangerous practice of driving against the flow of traffic on such congested arteries as a persistent hazard. Small motorized three-wheelers, often operating without proper oversight, routinely breach lane discipline, turning routine commutes into life-threatening hazards for vulnerable road users, particularly young children travelling on motorcycles. Official legal formalities surrounding the handover of the child’s body are being concluded by hospital authorities and the local police force.
