Police officer killed, 10 injured as pickup overturns

A police officer was killed and at least 10 people, including several police personnel, were injured after a police pickup lost control and overturned in Madaripur on Thursday.

The accident occurred around 4pm in Pokhira village of Khoajpur Union under Sadar upazila.

The deceased was identified as police member Abdus Salam, 40, son of Abdul Barek Bhuiyan of West Char Karamshi village in Karimganj upazila of Kishoreganj. He was serving at Shibchar Police Station in Madaripur.

According to police and hospital sources, a police pickup from Shibchar Police Station was returning after taking an accused to a court in Madaripur. While passing through the Pokhira area, the driver lost control while trying to give way to seven-year-old child Ema Akter and her father, Ibrahim Sardar, 30.

The vehicle overturned beside the road, and Abdus Salam was trapped underneath and died at the scene.

The injured include Ibrahim Sardar and his daughter Ema Akter of Pokhira village, Sultan Chokdar and Rubel Chokdar of Bhandarikandi village in Shibchar, and Nuruzzaman of Bhanga in Faridpur.

The injured police personnel were Police Inspector Mozammel Haque and police members Shariful Islam, Sohel, Hasan and Shamim.

Local residents rescued the injured and took them to Madaripur District Hospital. Later, four injured police personnel were referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment.

Madaripur Additional Superintendent of Police Faria Rafiq Bhavna said, “We have initially learned that the police vehicle lost control while trying to save a child and her father. One police member was killed and several others were injured.”