A total of nine people were killed and nine others injured in separate road accidents in Gazipur, Bogra, Comilla, Moulvibazar and Faridpur districts on Friday and Saturday.
In Gazipur, three people were killed as a train crashed into a pickup truck in Kaliganj upazila on Saturday morning.
The deceased are pickup van driver Zakir, 22, his assistant Mridul Hossain, 15, and fruit vendor Mohsin, 50, who was also in the vehicle, according to Sub-Inspector Iqbal Hossain of Narsingdi railway police camp.
According to Arikhola Railway Station Master Kamrul Islam, the Narayanganj-bound pickup and the Dhaka-bound Provati Express collided at an unmanned level crossing in the Nalchhata area.
The four-wheeler got blown away in the impact and fell into a ditch, leaving Zakir, Mridul and Mohsin dead on the spot.
Their bodies would be sent to the morgue of Narsingdi Sadar Hospital for autopsy, said SI Iqbal.
On October 1 last year, a former Dhaka University professor, Abdur Rahim Khan, 72, died in an accident at the same level crossing after a train hit his car. His wife and the driver of the car were also injured in the incident.
In Comilla, a man was killed when a bus lost control and fell into a pond at Nangalkot upazila.
The deceased was identified as Haresh Mia, 45, a fish trader. Shah Ali Paribahan
The accident took place at Biruli village on the Comilla-bound road from Hasanpur around 8:30am on Saturday.
Locals admitted four others, who were injured in the incident, to a local hospital.
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Nangalkot police station OC Faruk Hossain said that, after receiving the news, they went to the spot and recovered Haresh Mia's body.
“The bus was brought to the police station. The body will be handed over to the family at the end of the legal process,” he added.
Witness Swapan, a local resident, said: "When the bus fell into the pond, we were having tea at a tong. Then some of us rushed and rescued everyone.”
“At that time, the driver's assistant, a helper, was driving the bus. When we asked the helper, he told us that there were three passengers on the bus. When the bus was rescued four hours later, another body was found under it,” he added.
Swapan claimed that the man might not have died if the helper had told the exact number of passengers before.
In Moulvibazar, a 42-year-old sub-inspector (SI) was killed when his police vehicle lost control and collided with a tree in Rajshah upazila, injuring five other policemen.
The deceased was identified as Samiran Chandra Das.
The accident took place at 5am on Saturday at Mahasahar area of Moulvibazar-Fenchuganj road.
According to police and local sources, SI Samiran, SI Shawkat Masud Bhuiyan, SI Soleiman Ahmed, ASI Jahangir Alam, constables Masud Mia and Aziz Hossain were returning to the police station in a pickup van after completing their regular duties in Uttarbhag area.
On the way, their pickup van lost control and collided with a tree in Mahasahra area.
When the locals rushed to the spot and informed the fire service, the locals and firefighters rescued them and sent them to Moulvibazar Sadar Sadar Hospital.
Later, the doctor on duty declared SI Samiran dead.
At the same time, SI Shawkat, constables Masud, and Aziz were rushed to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital as their condition was critical.
Moulvibazar Superintendent of Police Mohammad Zakaria said an investigation was underway into how the incident took place. “We will disclose details after a proper investigation.”
In Faridpur, an old man was killed when he was hit by a bus while crossing the road at Bhanga upazila.
The incident took place on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Hamirdi union of the upazila around on Saturday morning.
The deceased was identified as Gurudas Pal, 76, hails from Singaria village in Hamirdi union of the upazila.
Bhanga Highway police Sub-Inspector (SI) Shah Alam said that the elderly was crossing the highway when a BRTC bus, heading from Khulna to Dhaka, hit him and he died on the spot.
He added that the police had seized the bus, but the driver is absconding.
In Bogra, at least three motorcyclists have been killed in a head-on collsion with a bus in Bogura's Kahaloo upazila.
The accident took place on Bogra-Naogaon road in Barmile area of the upazila on Friday night, said police.
The deceased were identified as Abdullah, 25, Shagor, 28, and Soikat, 22.
According to witnesses, when the victims tried to overtake a truck loaded with rice, a bus coming from the opposite direction collided with their vehicles and the motorcyclists fell on the road.
The driver lost control and the truck overturned after crushing three people.
Soikat died on the spot while Abdullah and Shagor were rescued by firefighters. They were then admitted to Dupchanchia Upazila Health Complex, where Abdullah died on arrival.
Later, Shagor was referred to Bogra Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College as his condition was critical. However, he died there on Friday night.
Dupchanchia police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abul Kalam Azad said the truck and motorcycle involved in the accident were seized.
“Attempts are being made to identify the driver and helper of the deadly truck. A case of unnatural death has been registered in Kahaloo, Dupchanchia and sadar police stations in this regard,” he added.
Our district correspondents– Raihanul Islam Akand, Gazipur; Nazmul Huda Nasim, Bogra; Masud Alam, Comilla; Saiful Islam, Moulvibazar; and Rashedul Hasan Kajol, Faridpur– contributed to this report