A leader of Jamaat-e-Islami and a child were killed, and three others injured, when a Detective Branch (DB) police vehicle collided with an easy-bike in Panchagarh Sadar upazila on Friday night.
The accident occurred around 10:00pm on Friday in front of the Maitree Tea Factory near the Helipad area of the Panchagarh-Banglabandha Highway.
The deceased were identified as Ahmad Ali, 55, son of Lutfar Rahman of Baliadangi village under Amarkhana Union. He was also the union president of Bangladesh Shramik Kalyan Federation, Jamaat’s labour front.
The other victim was Yasin Ali, 7, son of Abdus Salam of Jagdal Goalpara.
The injured were easy-bike driver Shariful Islam, 45, of Chaitanyapara; Yasin’s elder brother, Sadekul Islam, 30; and Priya Akter, 17, of Kazirhat.
Locals said the victims were traveling from Panchagarh town to Jagdal Bazar on the easy-bike. As they reached Maitree Tea Factory, a DB police microbus tried to overtake a truck from the opposite lane and struck the easy-bike head-on, leaving all five passengers critically injured.
They were rushed to Panchagarh Modern Sadar Hospital where doctors declared Ahmad Ali and Yasin dead. Driver Shariful, in critical condition, was referred to Rangpur for advanced treatment, while Sadekul and Priya remain hospitalized.
Following the incident aggrieved locals seized the police microbus and the truck, blocking the highway for about an hour. Traffic resumed only after law enforcement
arrived and brought the situation under control. Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdullah Hil Zaman of Panchagarh Sadar Police Station confirmed the accident.
“The bodies have been handed over to families after formal procedures. The vehicles involved have been seized and legal action is underway,” he said.
