Toddler Killed by Battery-Powered Autorickshaw in Tejgaon

DHAKA — A two-and-a-half-year-old girl lost her life after being struck by a fast-moving, battery-powered autorickshaw in the capital’s Tejgaon Industrial Area on Tuesday afternoon. The tragic incident occurred at approximately 5:00 pm at the Begunbari slope, illuminating the persistent dangers posed by unauthorised electric three-wheelers operating on the city’s thoroughfares.

The victim, identified as Nowrin, was the daughter of Nazim Miah, a local van driver. Recounting the harrowing sequence of events, a distraught Nazim Miah explained that he was preparing to leave his residence for work in the late afternoon when the toddler insisted on accompanying him outside. Responding to her request, the family decided to go for a short walk together. Nazim Miah, his wife Shirina Begum, Nowrin, and their infant son Sojib were walking along the road when the toddler suddenly broke away from her father’s grip.

A Fatal Interception

As the child stepped forward onto the street, a speeding battery-powered autorickshaw struck her with immense force. The impact threw the young girl onto the hard tarmac, causing severe, traumatic head injuries. Family members and panicked bystanders immediately rescued the unconscious child from the road and rushed her to a local healthcare facility. As her condition rapidly deteriorated, she was transferred to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Upon arrival in the evening, the attending physicians pronounced her dead.

The rising proliferation of these improvised three-wheelers, locally known as battery-run autorickshaws or easy-bikes, remains a highly contentious issue in metropolitan Dhaka. Despite several official directives and high court bans aimed at restricting their movement on primary urban corridors due to structural instability and brake failures, the vehicles continue to operate extensively in low-income neighbourhoods and industrial zones. The absence of strict enforcement by municipal authorities and traffic police has meant that these high-speed, virtually silent vehicles frequently navigate narrow alleyways and steep gradients, such as the Begunbari slope, posing an existential threat to pedestrians.

The legal ambiguity surrounding battery-operated three-wheelers continues to claim innocent lives on city streets, transforming routine family walks into sudden tragedies.

Police Investigation Underway

Confirming the casualty, Inspector Mohammad Faruk, the officer-in-charge of the DMCH Police Camp, stated that the toddler’s body has been transferred to the hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination. The hospital authorities have formally notified the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station regarding the details of the vehicular accident.

Law enforcement officials have launched a preliminary enquiry to identify the vehicle involved and apprehend the driver, who reportedly fled the scene immediately after the collision. Meanwhile, the sudden loss has left the working-class family in deep shock, with neighbours gathering at their residence to offer condolences and demanding stricter regulation of hazardous transport vehicles in residential sectors.