Amid demo, counter-demo, four lives lost on roads
Bus owners and workers in Barishal yesterday observed a six-hour strike, demanding release of a bus driver while college students demonstrated in the town seeking his punishment and safer roads.
Students in Jashore also blockaded a road, demanding road safety and compensation for schoolgirl Nipa Khatun, who lost her leg in a road accident on Thursday.
Amid such protests and demonstrations, at least four persons were killed and another was injured in road accidents in three districts yesterday.
PROTEST, COUNTERPROTEST
In Barishal, bus owners and workers enforced the strike from 6am while students of Government BM College brought out a procession and blocked the city's Nathullabad bus terminal from 10:30am to noon.
On Friday, seven people, including a student of the college, were killed and six others injured in head-on collision between a bus and three-wheeler in Banaripara upazila. Later, police arrested the bus driver, Abdul Jalil, from Babuganj upazila.
Talking to journalists, Jahangir Hossain, secretary of Bus Workers' Union, said, “We called off our strike around noon on administration's request. We demand immediate release of our fellow driver.”
Aditi, a student of BM College, said, “We demand trial of the driver, responsible for the accident.”
Around noon, students withdrew their blockade when Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah visited the area and announced to take necessary steps.
Due to the strike and demonstration, commuters had to suffer immensely.
“I had an important meeting today at Gournadi upazila but I missed it due to transport crisis,” said Nasima, an NGO employee.
Meanwhile in Jashore, students blockaded Benapole-Jashore highway, demanding compensation for sixth-grader Nipa.
Students put up barricades and burnt tyres, halting vehicular movement from around 9am. Around 3pm, they withdrew the blockade, following assurance from administration and police that necessary measures would be taken for Nipa's treatment, said OC Mosiur Rahman of Sarsa Police Station.
4 KILLED IN 3 DISTRICTS
In Joypurhat, at least two people were killed and another was injured in a head-on collision between two motorbikes at Panchbibi upazila around 2pm yesterday.
The deceased are Mahfuz Hossain, 26; and Tabibar Rahman, 60, -- residents of the upazila, said OC Bazlar Rahman of Panchbibi Police Station. Tabibar died on the spot while Mahfuz succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.
In Munshiganj, a sixth-grader was killed when a bus hit him in Medinimandal area on Dhaka-Mawa highway. The victim is Antar, 12.
A bus of Bonoful Paribahan, plying the wrong-side, hit Antar when he was returning home during a break, said Golam Morshed, in-charge of Hashara highway police outpost.
In Chattogram, a motorcyclist died as he lost control over the motorbike and went under the wheels of a lorry at Customs intersection. The deceased is Osman Gani, 29, of Chandpur.
He was declared dead at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said ASI Alauddin Talukdar of CMCH police outpost.
(Our Barishal, Dinajpur, Munshiganj and Chattogram correspondents contributed to this report)
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