Heartbreaking
Three people were killed when an empty bus ran over two on a motorbike and ploughed into several shops before pinning a schoolgirl to the wall of a shop at Nawdapara market in Rajshahi city yesterday.
Ismail Hossain, 25, and Sabuj, 30, employees of a cable operator, died on the spot. They had been dragged some 100 yards on impact, said witnesses and police.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Anika Sharmin, 13, a student of class-VII at Nawhata Girls School, was declared dead at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. She was returning home from school after taking part in the National Mourning Day programmes.
The bus also hit several vehicles and injured four others. The accident took place around 11:30am, said Zillur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Shah Makhdum Police Station.
Injured bystanders Asmat, 30, Sajib, 25, Rina, 45, and Mithu, 25, were admitted to RMCH.
Anika's sister Maimuna Sharmin who is a year older said, “My sister loved ice creams. We went there to buy her an ice cream.”
The student of class-VIII said, “After buying her the ice cream, we drank water at a drug store.
“Hearing the screams, we looked out but we had no time to escape. My friend Nitu jumped aside, but the bus hit me on my back and Anika was pressed against the wall.
“We were laughing as we were talking to each other just a while before. I never imagined this could happen to my sister.”
Sohel, a fruit seller of Nawdapara market, said he heard the bus hitting vehicles when it was about 200 yards away from the market. “By the time I was able to look, it had hit a motorcycle and an auto-rickshaw. I saw a woman lying on the road, perhaps she fell from the auto-rickshaw.
“The bus was moving like a snake. Several vehicles narrowly escaped getting hit,” he said, adding, “When it was near the market, it hit the motorcycle and dragged the two to the opposite side of the road before ploughing into shops.”
Moin, a motor workshop owner at the market, said he had to jump out of the bus's way.
“I saw a man under the rear wheels, firefighters rescued him but he was dead.”
Angry locals blocked the Rajshahi-Naogaon regional highway for two hours and vandalised a bus.
Some locals said they had saved the helper of the bus from a mob beating and that he was at the wheel of the bus when it crashed.
Quoting the helper, they claimed bus driver Jony drove the bus from Chapainawabganj to Seroil Bus Stand in the city and asked the helper to drive to Nawdapara Bus Stand and park.
The OC, however, said, “We learnt that the driver himself was driving and the accident occurred as he lost control after failing to brake. We identified him and are trying to arrest him.”
He said he was unaware of locals saving the helper from a mob.
“It is an accident, it occurred due to brake failure,” said Manjur Rahman, general secretary of Rajshahi Bus Owners Association.
He too claimed that the driver himself was at the wheel and that locals prevented the mob beating of the helper and handed him over to transport leaders.
“The driver is skilled and he has his driving licence. The bus also has its fitness cleared,” he said quoting the bus owner.
In another accident, at least eight people were injured when a car hit four rickshaws in front of Jamtala Hira Community Centre on Dhaka-Pagla-Narayanganj road in Narayanganj last night.
The car first hit two rickshaws while overtaking them and then rammed two others around 9:45pm, injuring all passengers and rickshaw-pullers, said Md Didar, sub-inspector of Fatullah Model Police Station.
The victims were admitted to Narayanganj 300-bed hospital, reports our correspondent in the district.
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