Rangpur road crash: Sathi waits for her father, red dress

Eid brings happiness to millions in the Muslim world, including Bangladesh. Children enjoy the festivity more than others. It was supposed to be such a joyous occasion for seven-year-old Sharmin Akter Sathi as her father bought a red dress and a pair of sandals for her. But one never knows what life has in store.

Sathi's father has been killed in a road accident on his way back home to share the joy with his family.

She said her father Saddam Hossain bought dresses for all. "But the truck turned over," said seven-year-old Sathi as she was standing next to her house in Kaliganj Upazila in Lalmonirhat.

Saddam is one of the 16 victims of a truck accident in Rangpur but the little girl was apparently unaware of her father’s fate.

Saddam and his brother Alamgir Hossain used to work at a garment factory in Gazipur. Alamgir was also killed in the accident. Of the dead, 10 victims came from different villages in Kaliganj and two from Aditmari.

On a fateful day, Saddam, his brother and 52 others boarded a truck laden with cement heading for Lalmonirhat.

The accident occurred in the early hours of Saturday at Pirganj in Rangpur, killing 16 of them and injuring 11 others critically.

Saddam’s mother Zarina Begum last spoke to her son on Friday. “He could not come home with the dresses he bought for all of us,” said Zarina as she was crying and mourning the deaths of her two sons.

Her other son, Zahangir, went to Rangpur to bring home the bodies of his brothers. As Zahangir was heading out, he heard that Saddam’s brother-in-law Delwar and his cousin were also dead.