A devastating head-on collision between a heavy, rod-laden lorry and a pickup van along the vital Dhaka-Pabna highway has claimed two lives and left another person injured, triggering temporary traffic chaos in Sirajganj’s Ullapara upazila.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, at approximately 4:30 AM, near Patdhari village. The victims travelling inside the ill-fated pickup van have been identified as thirty-year-old Saddam Hossain—a businessman and son of Sadek Ali from Goalbathan village in Natore’s Singra upazila—and thirty-five-year-old Rezowan Hossain from the Bogura Sadar area.
According to accounts from local witnesses and highway police, the pickup van was navigating the highway when it crossed paths with a lorry transporting iron rods coming from the opposite direction. The two commercial vehicles smashed into each other near Patdhari village with tremendous force. The impact left the pickup severely mangled and its passengers critically wounded.
Local residents rushed to the scene immediately following the crash. Despite swift rescue efforts, Saddam Hossain had already succumbed to his injuries at the site. Emergency responders urgently transported the severely injured Rezowan Hossain to Sirajganj Medical College Hospital, where medical personnel fought to save him, but he passed away while undergoing treatment. Details regarding a third injured individual remain unconfirmed.
In the wake of the tragedy, grief and frustration boiled over among local bystanders. Placing Saddam’s body directly onto the tarmac, residents initiated a spontaneous protest blockade that effectively paralyzed the Dhaka-Pabna highway. The standoff created a tailback stretching approximately two kilometres in both directions, leaving numerous passenger buses and freight lorries stranded for nearly two hours.
Law enforcement units from the Hatikumrul Highway Police Station arrived promptly at the scene to manage the tense situation. Officers successfully seized the involved lorry. With vital support from Salanga police station personnel, authorities engaged in dialogue with the protesting residents to restore order and clear the roadway.
Officer-in-Charge Md Ismail Hossain of Hatikumrul Highway Police Station confirmed that the police seized the lorry involved in the crash and negotiated with locals to lift the blockade. Traffic movement along the strategic regional artery resumed its normal flow by approximately 6:30 AM.
Transport observers point out that while highways experience lighter traffic during early dawn hours, the risk of catastrophic head-on crashes between heavy freight vehicles and lighter transport increases significantly when drivers lose concentration or visibility drops. Authorities continue to stress the critical need for strict adherence to speed limits, proper lane discipline, and heightened vigilance during dawn and night shifts to prevent further tragedies on national routes. Meanwhile, the sudden double fatality has cast a profound shadow of grief over the victims’ families and local communities.
