Protesters torch dump trucks after they run over pedestrian in Rajshahi

A truck hit Akram, a tailor, near Biraldah shrine on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway, dragged his body for some distance

A tailor has been killed in Rajshahi's Puthia after a dump truck hit him as he crossed the road.

Agitated locals later blocked the road and torched two dump trucks.

The incident occurred around 7am on Tuesday near Biraldah shrine on Dhaka-Rajshahi highway, said Faridul Islam, chief of Puthia Police Station.

The deceased, 60-year-old Akram was a native of Sarda Thanapara area. He was a tailor and owned a shop adjacent to the Biraldah shrine.

Police officer Faridul said that Akram was crossing the road after breakfast in the morning just as two sand-laden dump trucks from Natore came speeding down the road. One of the trucks hit Akram and dragged him for some distance. He died on the spot.

Immediately after the accident, angry locals blocked the highway and set fire to the two dump trucks. The incident led to long tailbacks on both sides of the highway.

The police officer added that when the police reached the spot and tried to calm the situation, they got into a confrontation with the agitated crowd. A highway police vehicle was also vandalised amid the unrest.

The situation was eventually calmed through dialogue with locals, he said.

Farhad Hossain, deputy assistant director of the Rajshahi Division Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that they were initially hesitant to go to the scene due to the presence of the agitated crowd. Later, when the situation was brought under control, the fires on the two trucks was brought under control with the help of the police and locals.