A tragic early-morning road accident on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway has claimed the lives of a man and his young son after a passenger bus collided head-on with a cement-laden lorry in Narayanganj’s Bandar upazila.
The victims have been identified as 35-year-old Shafiqul Islam and his four-year-old son, Bipul, originating from Uttar Khagura village in Gaibandha district. At least five other individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries during the crash.
The fatal incident occurred at approximately 4:30 am on Wednesday near the Keodhala bus stand area. According to police reports, a passenger bus was travelling along the Chittagong-bound lane of the highway when a lorry carrying cement, which was driving recklessly on the wrong side of the road, crashed into it head-on. Shafiqul and his young son were standing by the roadside at the time and were caught directly in the impact of the collision, dying instantly at the scene.
Highway police and local emergency responders quickly arrived at the crash site following the incident. Officers from Kanchpur Highway Police Station and Bandar Police Station, assisted by local residents, rescued the injured passengers and dispatched them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for immediate medical treatment. The identities of the injured victims have not yet been established.
Law enforcement authorities acted swiftly in the aftermath, detaining the driver of the cement-laden truck at the scene. Whilst the passenger bus has been seized and taken into police custody, its driver managed to flee the area shortly after the crash.
Confirming the casualties, Shafiul Alam, Sub-Inspector of Kanchpur Highway Police, stated that officers are currently preparing the preliminary inquest reports for both deceased victims. Police confirmed that a formal case is being filed and further legal procedures against the detained driver are underway.
Road accidents along the heavily trafficked Dhaka-Chittagong Highway remain a persistent concern in Bangladesh, often exacerbated by severe traffic infractions such as vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road, driver fatigue during early hours, and poor lane discipline. Authorities continue to urge strict vigilance and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations to prevent such devastating losses of life on key national arterial routes.
