Three Killed in Highway Collision

A tragic road accident in Brahmanbaria has claimed the lives of three people, including a mother and her young son, after a pickup van collided with a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw on the Cumilla–Sylhet Highway on Friday morning.

The fatal crash occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. in the Biyallishhar area of Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila. According to police and local sources, the victims were travelling in an auto-rickshaw when it was struck from behind by a fish-laden pickup van. The impact left several passengers critically injured and caused severe damage to the smaller vehicle.

Among those killed were auto-rickshaw driver Mahbub Hossain, 45, passenger Josna Begum, 40, and her five-year-old son Ashraful Islam. Medical personnel at Brahmanbaria General Hospital declared all three dead shortly after they were brought to the emergency department.

Two other members of the same family—Josna Begum’s husband, Kawsar Mia, 50, and their four-year-old daughter, Adiba—sustained serious injuries in the collision. Following initial treatment at Brahmanbaria General Hospital, both were transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced medical care due to the severity of their condition.

Casualties at a Glance

Investigators said the family had set out from Bahadurpur village in Mulgram Union of Kasba Upazila and were travelling towards the Sarail Bishwaroad area. As their auto-rickshaw reached Biyallishhar in Ramrail Union, a pickup van transporting fish reportedly rammed the vehicle from the rear. Witnesses described the collision as forceful, causing the auto-rickshaw to lose control and leaving its occupants with devastating injuries.

Local residents rushed to the scene and assisted emergency responders in rescuing the victims. The injured were transported to hospital without delay, but doctors were unable to save three of the occupants.

Road crashes remain a significant concern on Bangladesh’s highways, particularly on busy inter-district routes where speeding, reckless driving, and inadequate enforcement of traffic regulations frequently contribute to accidents. Safety experts have repeatedly called for stricter monitoring of commercial vehicles and improved road safety measures to reduce fatalities.

Abu Taher Dewan, Officer-in-Charge of the Sarail Khatihata Highway Police Station, said officers arrived at the scene shortly after receiving reports of the accident. However, the pickup van driver and his assistant fled immediately after the crash and had not been detained at the time of reporting. Police have launched efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible, while further investigations are underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the deadly collision.

The accident has cast a shadow of grief over the victims’ home village, where relatives and neighbours have been mourning the sudden loss of three lives from a single family journey.