Two Killed in Pakundia Road Crash

A tragic road collision in Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj district has claimed two lives and left three others seriously injured in the early hours of Thursday morning. The accident occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. in the Shriramdi area, directly in front of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation’s potato storage facility.

According to local residents and police reports, a goods-laden truck travelling from Dhaka towards Kishoreganj was moving at high speed when it approached the Shriramdi Government Cold Storage zone. At the same time, a battery-operated auto-rickshaw was coming from the opposite direction, carrying passengers along the same stretch of road. As both vehicles reached the vicinity of the cold storage, the truck reportedly lost control and violently struck the auto-rickshaw. The impact was so severe that the three-wheeler was completely crushed, resulting in the immediate deaths of two passengers at the scene.

The deceased have been identified as Badal Mia (45), son of Rustam Ali of Chandipasha village in Pakundia upazila, and Ischam Uddin (50), son of Shamsuddin of Dapunia village in Hossainpur upazila. Three other passengers sustained critical injuries and were swiftly rescued by locals before being transported to Kishoreganj 250-bed General Hospital for emergency treatment.

Witnesses stated that the occupants of the auto-rickshaw were reportedly travelling in the early morning to collect ant eggs, which are commonly used as fishing bait in rural areas. The sudden collision caused panic in the locality, briefly disrupting traffic movement along the busy road. Local residents assisted in rescue operations before emergency services arrived.

Details of the victims

Officer-in-Charge of Pakundia Police Station, SM Arifur Rahman, confirmed the incident. He stated that police promptly arrived at the scene following the crash, recovered the bodies, and sent them to Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College Hospital morgue for post-mortem examinations.

He further added that the truck involved in the accident has been seized, although the driver managed to flee the scene immediately after the collision. Law enforcement operations are ongoing to identify and apprehend the driver, and legal proceedings are underway in connection with the incident.

Local administrative sources noted that the stretch of road where the accident occurred is particularly busy, especially during early morning hours when heavy vehicles frequently travel at high speed. Such conditions significantly increase the risk of serious collisions.

Preliminary assessments suggest that excessive speed and loss of vehicle control may have been contributing factors, although authorities have emphasised that the exact cause will be determined following a full investigation.

The incident has cast a pall of grief over the area, with residents expressing shock at the sudden loss of life in what has become another stark reminder of road safety concerns in the region.