Two people lost their lives late on Friday night after a high-speed passenger bus rammed into a stationary, broken-down lorry on the Jamuna Bridge West Link Highway in Sirajganj district.
The fatal collision occurred at around 1:30 am on Friday in the Talukdar Bazar area, situated under the jurisdiction of Kamarkhanda Upazila.
The deceased have been identified as 26-year-old Apon Islam, hailing from the Pranmathpur area of Gurbola in Dinajpur Sadar Upazila, and 40-year-old Md Aslam, a resident of Tarash village within Sirajganj’s Tarash Upazila. Both individuals were actively engaged in repairing the disabled vehicle along the side of the carriageway when the crash took place.
According to Sub-Inspector Pronoy Pramanik of the Jamuna Bridge West Police Station, the lorry had suffered a mechanical breakdown and was parked by the edge of the highway. Mechanics and helpers were carrying out emergency repairs when a Dhaka-bound passenger coach operated by Alisha Paribahan, reportedly travelling at high speed, struck the rear of the stationary vehicle with immense force.
The violent impact left both men severely injured. Local residents rushed to the scene immediately following the collision, successfully extracting the victims from the wreckage and arranging emergency transport to Sirajganj Medical College Hospital. Upon arrival, the attending physicians declared both men dead, citing the fatal extent of the injuries sustained in the crash.
Law enforcement officers swiftly impounded the Alisha Paribahan bus involved in the incident. Police confirmed that formal legal steps have been initiated and an official case has been registered.
Vehicles undergoing roadside repairs along major highways present an extreme hazard to surrounding traffic, particularly under the cover of darkness. When broken-down lorries remain parked on or near active carriageways without visible warning signals, reflective markers, or adequate illumination, the likelihood of high-speed collisions increases dramatically. Investigators are currently examining whether required safety measures and hazard warnings were deployed around the stationary vehicle before the crash occurred.
The Jamuna Bridge West Link Highway serves as a crucial transport artery, connecting the northern and north-western regions of Bangladesh with the capital and eastern districts. Thousands of long-distance passenger coaches and heavy freight transport vehicles navigate this strategic route around the clock. The frequent movement of heavy traffic highlights the urgent need for immediate removal of disabled vehicles to designated lay-bys, along with the mandatory use of high-visibility warning devices.
The sudden loss of two lives has cast a deep pall of gloom over the victims’ families and local communities. Police confirmed that a comprehensive investigation is underway to determine the precise speed of the bus, the exact positioning of the disabled lorry, and any underlying mechanical failures or driver negligence that contributed to the tragedy.
