Two young people were killed after a vehicle struck their motorcycle on the Dhaka–Mawa Expressway in Munshiganj’s Srinagar upazila early on Friday. The accident occurred at around 3am in the Mawa-bound lane near Samashpur, when an unidentified vehicle hit the motorcycle from behind, throwing both riders onto the road before running over them.
The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Rafi, 20, and Jannatul Mawa, 19. Both were residents of West Shewrapara in Mirpur, Dhaka.
According to the Fire Service and several eyewitnesses, Rafi and Jannatul were travelling towards Mawa from Dhaka with a group of friends riding several motorcycles. As their motorcycle reached the Samashpur area of Srinagar, an unidentified vehicle approaching from behind struck it with considerable force.
The impact threw both occupants onto the expressway. The vehicle then reportedly ran over them before leaving the scene. Both died at the spot.
Muhammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy assistant director of the Munshiganj Fire Service, said two rescue units from the Srinagar Fire Station were dispatched after receiving information about the accident at 3.04am.
Fire Service personnel reached the scene and recovered the bodies of the two motorcycle riders. They subsequently handed them over to the Hasara Highway Police for further procedures.
The bodies were taken to the police station, and the families of the deceased were informed. Police have also begun efforts to identify the vehicle involved in the collision and trace its driver.
Officer-in-Charge of Hasara Highway Police Station Sohel Rana confirmed that the bodies had been taken into police custody and that relatives had been notified. He said efforts were under way to locate the vehicle responsible for the crash.
Police have not yet established the nature of the relationship between Rafi and Jannatul. Although the two were travelling together on the same motorcycle as part of a larger group, officials have not confirmed whether they were related, friends or in a relationship.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the safety risks faced by motorcyclists on major highways, particularly during late-night journeys. The Dhaka–Mawa Expressway is an important transport corridor connecting the capital with Munshiganj and other parts of south-western Bangladesh. Its high-speed traffic makes safe driving practices, maintaining adequate distances between vehicles and observing speed limits particularly important.
Motorcycles are especially vulnerable in collisions involving larger vehicles. A rear-end impact can throw riders directly into the path of other traffic, leaving them with little opportunity to protect themselves. The use of protective helmets and appropriate riding gear can reduce the severity of some injuries, although these measures cannot eliminate the risks posed by high-speed collisions.
The circumstances surrounding Friday’s accident remain under investigation. Identifying the vehicle and determining how the collision occurred will be central to establishing responsibility. Police have yet to disclose whether any suspect vehicle has been identified.
The deaths of the two young residents of Mirpur have left their families facing a sudden and devastating loss. Their journey towards Mawa with friends ended in tragedy, while the search for the vehicle involved continues.
