Accident triggers protest

A road accident injuring a college student triggered violent protest in Goma ferry ghat area of the city yesterday.
Agitating locals and students torched a bus and damaged another four and also blocked Goma-Charkawa road for about three hours.
The injured, Shahnaj Sultana, 18, of Krishnakathi in Bakerganj upazila and a second year HSC student of Barisal Ataharuddin College, was rushed to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.
She was then shifted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital as her condition deteriorated.
Locals and witnesses said a bus hit a tempo carrying a few students including Shahnaj from behind on the eastern bank of Kirtankhola River in the area at around 11:00am, leaving her critically injured while they were going to the college.
As the news spread, the protestors torched and damaged the vehicles and blocked the road, halting traffic movement.
On information, police rushed in and brought the situation under control at about 2:00pm, said Nurul Islam, officer in-charge of Bakerganj police station.