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Two separate road accidents in Sylhet and Bogura within two hours on Friday morning left at least 16 people dead and several others injured, bringing renewed attention to speeding, reckless driving and other road-safety risks on the country’s highways.
The crashes occurred between 5am and 7am on August 7.
While investigations into the exact causes are underway, preliminary accounts suggest that excessive speed, risky overtaking and loss of control may have contributed to the deadly incidents.
In Sylhet’s Osmaninagar, nine people, including a three-year-old child, were killed when two passenger buses collided head-on on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway around 7am.
According to Zainal Abedin, inspector (investigation) of Osmaninagar Police Station, a Dhaka-bound Unique Paribahan bus collided with a Sylhet-bound Bengal Sleeper Coach in the Kashikapan area.
The collision was reportedly extremely violent. The Unique bus lost control and plunged into a deep roadside ditch, leaving seven passengers dead at the scene. Two others later died after being taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.
Local accounts indicate that the collision may have occurred while one of the buses was travelling at high speed and attempting to overtake. However, the exact circumstances are yet to be established through investigation.
Highway police, local police and Fire Service personnel rushed to the scene and conducted rescue operations. The bodies were later taken into the custody of Sherpur Highway Police.
Around 5:30am, another deadly crash occurred in the Erulia Silkibandha area of Bogura Sadar, where a bus ran over a group of day labourers waiting for work. Seven people were killed and at least 15 others were injured.
Police and eyewitnesses said a Naogaon-bound Shah Fateh Ali Paribahan bus, travelling from Dhaka, reached the area amid drizzle. The driver reportedly lost control, struck an electricity pole and then ploughed into the labourers.
Three people died on the spot. The injured were rescued by Fire Service and Civil Defence personnel and taken to Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital.
Four of the deceased were identified as Amirul Islam and Nur Alam of Gobindaganj in Gaibandha, Belal Hossain of Fapor area in Bogura Sadar, and Tajmul of Joypurhat.
The two crashes, occurring within a short period and claiming 16 lives, have renewed concerns over dangerous driving on the country’s highways.
High-speed driving, reckless overtaking, failure to maintain control and poor visibility during adverse weather can significantly increase the risk of fatal crashes. In the Sylhet incident, the reported high-speed overtaking manoeuvre is a key issue requiring investigation.
In Bogura, the bus reportedly lost control before hitting an electricity pole and then the waiting labourers.
However, determining the precise causes of both crashes will require a full investigation, including examination of the vehicles, road conditions, driver behaviour and available eyewitness or CCTV evidence.
The back-to-back tragedies underscore the need for stricter enforcement of speed limits, action against reckless overtaking, improved driver training and stronger monitoring of public transport on highways.
