Dream of new books crushed under truck

12-year-old Reshma Akhter, a fourth-grader of Katgor Mirapara Government Primary School, woke up early yesterday morning and  prepared herself for school. It was the first day of the new year, and Reshma could barely hold her excitement of getting her hands on brand-new books. She set out to attend school in delight.

However, her enthusiasm was tragically extinguished, as a truck put out the light of her life in a fatal road accident.

Alauddin Talukdar, assistant sub-inspector  of Chattogram Medical College  Hospital (CMCH) police outpost, said the accident took place at  Katgor-Patenga Sea Beach intersection around noon, when the truck crushed Reshma as she was crossing the road.

Her friends, locals, and the truck’s driver rushed her to CMCH. She was later pronounced dead by on-duty doctors.

Police have taken the truck and the driver into custody, Officer-in-Charge of Patenga Police Station Utpal Barua said.

In addition to this, separate road accidents across four districts killed another 5 people, report our correspondents and a news agency.

In Dinajpur, another school student died in an accident in Nawabganj upazila yesterday.

The deceased, Rakib Islam (10), was a student of class three, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.

Witnesses said the accident occurred around 8:30am when a speeding tractor hit the boy and killed him on the spot.

Police later seized the tractor but the driver and his helper managed to flee the scene.

In the capital, a motorcyclist was killed while his friend sustained injuries in a road accident in the city’s Badda early yesterday. The accident occurred while the duo were out to celebrate the New Year.

Deceased Md Nayan Mollah (23) was an employee of a cable TV service provider in Rampura area.

Out from 10pm on Tuesday for New Year’s celebrations, Nayan died around 4:15am after losing control of their bike and slamming it into a road divider at Madhya Badda area, Parvez Islam, officer-in-charge of Badda Police Station said.

Both were without helmets and sustained injuries as they skidded off on impact. Nayan incurred severe head injuries as he hit the divider, he added.

They were rushed to DMCH where doctors declared Nayan dead, OC Parvez said.

Police officials suspect drunkenness and reckless driving as causes for the accident.

Meanwhile in Cumilla, a couple were killed when their microbus, also carrying an expatriate, fell into a roadside ditch under Sujatpur bridge on Dhaka-Chattogram highway yesterday morning.

The deceased were identified Saiful Islam (33) and his wife Rumi Akter (19). Saudi expatriate Humayun Kabir (30) and driver Mominul Islam (19) were injured in the accident, reports our Cumilla correspondent.

ATM Sarfuddin, in-charge of Mia Bazar Highway Police Outpost, said, “The accident occurred when the couple were returning from Dhaka airport with Saiful’s Saudi Arab expatriate brother Humayun.

Near Sujatpur bridge, the microbus lost control and fell into a ditch under Sujatpur bridge at Chiora of Chauddagram.”

Injured Humayun Kabir has been taken to Chauddagram Upazila Health Complex while driver Mominul Islam has been admitted at Cumilla Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

In Natore, a man was killed and 30 others were injured in a collision between two buses at Kashiabari Bridge area in Sadar upazila yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Likhon, a bus helper, reports UNB. 

The accident took place around 9:30am when a Rangpur-bound bus from Rajshahi collided head-on with another bus coming from the opposite direction.

This killed Likhon on the spot and left 30 others injured, said Asaduzzaman, deputy assistant director of Natore Fire Service and Civil Defence.

The injured were taken to a local hospital, from where three were referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.