A 19-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a road crash while reportedly taking part in a high-speed race with fellow bikers on the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway in Madaripur. His friends allegedly fled the scene after seeing him lying injured, leaving him behind until highway police arrived.
The accident occurred around noon on Friday, 11 September, on the Dhaka-bound lane of the expressway in the Bachamara area near Shibchar Highway Police Station.
The deceased was identified as Sakibul Hasan, son of Tarikul Islam of Baratia Mouhali area in Ghior upazila of Manikganj.
According to information gathered about the incident, Sakibul had travelled from Manikganj with a group of friends on Friday morning. The group reportedly left around 10am with 11 motorcycles and travelled through Faridpur towards Bhanga. Nine more bikers from Faridpur later joined them, taking the total number of riders to around 20.
The group had planned to race from Bhanga towards the Padma Bridge. After crossing the Arial Khan Bridge in Shibchar, the riders allegedly began travelling at high speed. At one point, Sakibul lost control of his motorcycle, which struck the roadside railing with considerable force.
The motorcycle was badly damaged in the collision, and Sakibul died at the scene.
What happened afterwards has added another troubling dimension to the incident. According to his friend Arohi Akter, the other bikers who were taking part in the race did not stay at the scene after the crash. Instead, they left Sakibul lying there in a bloodied condition.
Arohi said she had travelled from Manikganj to Faridpur with the group via the Daulatdia ferry terminal. Nine other bikers joined them in Faridpur. When they reached Bhanga, she and another female friend stayed behind while the others continued towards the expressway for the race.
She said she later received news that Sakibul had been involved in an accident and travelled from Bhanga to the crash site. When she arrived, she found that Sakibul had already died.
According to Arohi, none of the other participants in the race came forward after the accident. She said they left after witnessing the crash.
She also said Sakibul and some of the other riders frequently took part in motorcycle racing and had become acquainted with people through such activities on social media. The group would sometimes arrange rides and races together, she said.
The incident highlights the potentially severe consequences of high-speed motorcycle racing on public roads. Expressways are designed to facilitate fast and uninterrupted movement, but excessive speed and loss of control can leave riders with little time or space to recover from an unexpected situation. A collision with a roadside barrier can be particularly dangerous for an exposed motorcyclist.
In this case, however, the crash also raises questions about what happened immediately afterwards, particularly whether the other riders could have assisted the injured motorcyclist or contacted emergency services instead of leaving the scene.
Shibchar Highway Police Sub-Inspector Mamun said officers recovered the body of one person from the scene. He added that no one had yet lodged a formal complaint over the incident.
Police have therefore recovered the body, while the circumstances surrounding the crash and the actions of the other riders remain subject to further inquiry. The deceased’s body is expected to be dealt with according to the applicable legal procedure.
