Three friends, including two Saudi expatriates, were killed when their motorcycle collided head-on with a passenger bus in Bhanga, Faridpur, on Saturday evening.
The accident occurred at around 7pm near Nowapara Bus Stand on the Dhaka-Barishal Highway in Bhanga municipality, according to highway police.
The deceased were motorcycle rider Chayan Molla, 23, also a Saudi expatriate; Siam Molla, 23, another Saudi expatriate; and Nayan Hossain, 21. Chayan died at the scene. Siam and Nayan sustained critical injuries and were being taken to hospital by ambulance when they died around 10pm in the Keraniganj area of Dhaka.
All three came from Hasnahati village in Nagarkanda upazila of Faridpur and were close in age. Their deaths have left families and neighbours mourning the loss of three young men who were known to spend time together.
Chayan was the son of Dalil Uddin Mondal of Hasnahati village. He had been living in Saudi Arabia and returned to Bangladesh during the Eid-ul-Adha holiday. His visit home was therefore expected to be a period of spending time with family and friends.
Siam, the son of Azgar Molla of the same village, was also working in Saudi Arabia. He had returned to Bangladesh only about 20 days before the accident.
Nayan, son of Enayet Hossain, had previously spent several months in Kurdistan. He returned to Bangladesh around a year ago and began working for a courier company in the Nagarkanda area, making deliveries by motorcycle.
According to Bhanga Highway Police, the three friends left Laskardia in neighbouring Nagarkanda upazila on Saturday afternoon. They travelled to Bhanga to visit the Golchattar and surrounding areas. After spending some time there, they began their journey home.
They reached the Nowapara Bus Stand area at about 7pm when a passenger bus travelling from the opposite direction collided head-on with their motorcycle. The impact left all three seriously injured, while Chayan died immediately at the scene.
Local people and others helped arrange medical assistance for the injured men. Siam and Nayan were taken towards Dhaka by ambulance, but both died before reaching hospital.
Mohammad Kaiyum Mia, a member of Ward 9 of Laskardia Union Parishad and a resident of Hasnahati village, said the three men had been close friends. Their similar ages meant they regularly spent time together and often went out as a group.
Chayan’s funeral prayer was held on Saturday night, while the bodies of Siam and Nayan were brought back to the village on Sunday morning.
The passenger bus involved in the collision had not been located as of Sunday morning. Sergeant Azadur Rahman of Bhanga Highway Police said officers were working to identify and locate the vehicle.
The investigation into the crash is continuing. The accident has once again highlighted the risks faced by motorcycle riders on busy highways, where motorcycles share the road with large passenger and commercial vehicles. For the families of the three young men, however, the immediate concern is the sudden loss of loved ones who had gone out together for an ordinary evening trip and never returned home.
