FARIDPUR, Apr 16: At least 14 people, including five of a family, were killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a pickup van on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Dignagar area of Kanaipur under Sadar upazila of Faridpur district on Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Rakibul Islam Milan,40, resident of Chhatrakanda village of Shekhar union under Boalmari upazila in Faridpur district, his wife Sumi, 30, two sons Abu Raihan, 6, and Abu Sinan Ruhan, 5, Morjina Begum,70, wife of Wahab Mollah of the same village, Sonia, 25, wife of Milton Sheikh of Alfadanga upazila, Surya, 60, of Hidadanga village, Nazrul Islam, 35, son of Sirajul Islam of Kusumdi village, Tabibur Rahman, 60, son of Rashid Khan of Charbail village and Kohinur, 55, wife of Ameer Ali of Hidadanga village.
Of those, five of the deceased were the members of the same family, it was learnt. They are Rakibul Islam Milan of Faridpurs Boalmari upazila and his daughter, his brother, brothers wife and child.
All victims were passengers of the pick-up van, Superintendent of Police Md Morshed Alam said.
According to locals, a Magura-bound bus of Unique Paribahan, coming from Dhaka, collided head-on with a pickup van coming from Alphadanga of Faridpur around 7:45am, leaving 11 people dead on the spot and five others injured, he added.
The injured were taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital while one of them died on the way to the hospital and two others succumbed to injuries at the hospital. Police recovered the bodies from the spot.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Kamrul Ahsan Talukdar said a five-member investigation committee has been formed headed by District Magistrate Muhammad Ali Siddiqui to investigate the accident and the committee has been asked to submit report within the next three working days.
The Superintendent of Police said the district administration will pay Tk 5 lakh to the families of those killed in the accident and Tk 3 lakh to the families of those injured.
However, Tk 20,000 has been provided for the burial of the victims and Tk 10,000 in cash for treatment of the injured, the SP added.
Police and Fire Service members said the bus belonging to Uttara Unique Paribahan was heading towards Magura from Faridpur. And the pickup was going to Dhaka with passengers after Eid.
A five-member probe body was formed to investigate the accident on Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner Md Quamrul Hasan Talukdar said local administration formed the probe body and asked it to submit report within three working days. The Uttara Unique Paribahan bus, which collided head-on with a pickup on the Dhaka-Magura route, has been operating without fitness clearance and tax token for over three years. The bus was not even supposed to be on the Dhaka-Magura route, according to sources at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
The bus had a route permit for the Chattogram-Bogura route, but that too has not been updated since December 2021, they said.
But the long-haul bus has been in operation violating several sections of the Road Transport Act-2018 right under the noses of the authorities concerned.
The pickup, meanwhile, carried passengers despite a law barring a goods-carrying vehicle from carrying passengers.
The bus had received permission to operate on the Chattogram-Bogura route, but the validity of the route permit expired in December 2021, sources said. As per Section 77 of the Road Transport Act-2018, a person may face up to three months jail or Tk 20,000 fine, or both, for operating vehicle without route permit.
Contacted, Salauddin Chowdhury, Officer-in-Charge of Karimpur Highway Police Station, said he was not aware that the bus had no route permit or fitness clearance. "However, as far as I have heard, at least five cases were filed against the bus," he added. Meanwhile, the National Committee to protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) in statement said the authorities concerned including police and BRTA can avoid responsibility for the Faridpur road crash that claimed lives of 14 people on Tuesday.
Condemning the authorities negligence, the NCPSRR said although carrying passengers on trucks, pick-up vans and good- laden vehicles is prohibited the vehicle was heading towards Dhaka from Faridpurs Boalmari with 25-30 passengers on board, reports UNB.
It also demanded compensation for the family members of the deceased and better treatment to the victims injured in the accident and their rehabilitation after treatment.
NCPSRR President Shahid Mia and General Secretary Ashish Kumar Dey expressed profound shock at the death of the people and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family members.
