A young Bangladeshi cricketer, Ashraful Islam Ashik, 20, was killed when a passenger bus collided with his motorcycle in Old Dhaka on Sunday night. Another rider was injured in the crash, which took place in the Babubazar area.
On Monday morning, Ashik’s body was taken to his family home in the Sholghor area of Chandpur town, where grieving relatives gathered in large numbers.
Ashik was an opening batter for the Chandpur Clemon Cricket Academy. He was the son of retired army officer Mokhlesur Rahman Gazi and was studying for a bachelor’s degree in English at Stamford University in Dhaka.
According to family sources, Ashik had gone out on Sunday evening on a motorcycle with his cousin. When they reached Babubazar, a bus approaching from the opposite direction struck the vehicle. Ashik died at the scene.
Shamim Faruqi, founder of the Chandpur Clemon Cricket Academy and a Bangladesh Cricket Board trainer, said Ashik had played several matches at district and divisional level and had always been an opening batter. He described him as a talented and promising player.
Faruqi said Ashik reminded him of other youngsters who had risen through the academy system, including national players Shoriful Islam and Shamim Patwary. He added that Ashik’s progress had raised hopes of a bright future, but his life had been cut short.
Another Chandpur cricketer, Al Amin, said Ashik’s elder brother works as an imam in a mosque in Qatar and his only sister is an entrepreneur.
