Attempt to avoid pedestrian caused Khulna crash, say police

The road accident in Khulna that killed five passengers of a private car occurred when the driver swerved out of the way of a man with a disability only to ram a truck, police say.

The accident took place at Khejur Bagan near the by-pass road of the Rupsha Bridge on Sunday night, killing four leaders of the Gopalganj district wing of Chhatra League and one from Jubo League.

The dead were identified as Mahbub Hasan Babu, organising secretary of Gopalganj district wing of Chhatra League, Sadikul Alam, vice president in Gopalganj central wing of Jubo League, Walid Mahmud Utshob, deputy secretary of district wing of Chhatra League, Shaju Ahmed, deputy secretary of district wing of Chhatra League and Aminul Islam Gazi, member of the district wing of Chhatra League.

All of them, apart from Sadikul, were students of Gopalganj Government Bangabandhu University College, said police.

The victims were friends and used to hang out together, said Md Shafiqul Islam, chief of Lobonchara Police Station. They were also active members in an anti-drug organisation. They drove a private car to Khulna on Sunday. Sadikul was at the wheel on way back to Gopalganj from Zero Point in Khulna.

‘A vagabond with a mental disability’ thrust himself in front of the car as it was crossing Khejur Bagan, said the OC.

“The driver rammed the car into a Zero Point bound truck coming from the opposite direction in a bid to save the man.”

The fire men recovered the body of five people with the help of the locals and police from the private car, said the OC.

Police seized the truck, but the driver fled along with his helper.

The families of the dead, along with their friends and neighbours, were in shock when the bodies reached their residences in Gopalganj on Monday morning.

People across Gopalganj expressed their grief over the incident.

The dead will be laid to rest following funeral prayers at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium. 

“We have lost five lives. They were like a family to us. I do not have the words. The void created in the Chhatra League and Jubo League due to their death can never be filled,” said Jahed Mahmud Bappi, general secretary of Gopalganj Central Upazila wing of Jubo League.

“Those five Chhatra League and Jubo League leaders believed in the ideology of Bangabandhu. They had dreamed of doing something for the nation, but a road accident that has crushed their dreams,” said Mahbub Ali Khan, general secretary of Gopalganj district wing of Awami League.

“We cannot bear this loss. But we offer our condolence to their families on behalf of the Awami League and the people in Gopalganj as we pray for the eternal salvation of the departed souls.”

The number of accidents has increased in Gopalganj, he said, adding that the organisation is working alongside the government and other social organisations to prevent accidents and create safer roads.