Tragic Train-Bus Collision Claims Twelve Lives

The morgue at Comilla Medical College Hospital bore an unusually sombre and crowded scene on Sunday afternoon. Normally a place of quiet, it was filled with grieving relatives waiting to claim the bodies of twelve victims killed in a catastrophic collision between a bus and a train at a level crossing in Comilla.

The Accident

The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Saturday, 22 March, at approximately 2:55 a.m., at the Padua Bazar railway crossing in Comilla Sadar South Upazila. A Mamun Special bus travelling from Chuadanga to Lakshmipur collided with a Dhaka-bound mail train from Chittagong.

The accident claimed the lives of seven men, two women, and three children, while at least ten others were seriously injured. Preliminary railway reports attribute the incident to negligence on the part of the crossing’s gatekeepers, who have been temporarily suspended. Three separate investigation committees have been formed to probe the collision.

Personal Tragedy

Among the victims was Laizu Akter (26) and her two daughters, Khadija Akter (6) and Mariam Akter (3), who were accompanying her husband Pintu Islam from Jhenaidah. Pintu survived because he alighted in Dhaka earlier that night, leaving his family aboard the bus. The collision destroyed the central portion of the bus, where his wife and children were seated.

In his grief, Pintu told reporters,

“I came down in Dhaka to receive a relative from abroad. By dawn, I learned of the accident. Seeing my wife and children lifeless, I do not know why I was spared. How my little girls suffered before dying, only Allah knows.”

Another victim, Juhad Biswas (24), from Jhenaidah, was en route to his in-laws in Noakhali when he lost his life. His wife, Rumi Akter, arrived at the morgue with their 18-month-old daughter, mourning her husband’s death.

Other Victims

The victims came from several districts, reflecting the widespread human impact of the accident:

Eyewitness Accounts

Relatives at the hospital described the scene as devastating. Shahida Islam, aunt of nine-year-old Saida, recounted how her niece and family were travelling home after Eid prayers when the accident occurred. Many survivors were rushed to Comilla Medical College Hospital for treatment before being transferred to Dhaka.

Railway Response

The Laksam Railway Police confirmed that bodies were handed over to families following legal procedures. The railway authority has been criticised for gatekeeper negligence, with calls for accountability and safety reforms.

This tragic accident underscores the vulnerability at railway crossings in Bangladesh, highlighting the urgent need for stricter enforcement, automated barriers, and public awareness to prevent future calamities.