Driver gives wheel to helper, 17 dead after truck overturns in Rangpur

At least 17 people have died and 20 more injured after a cement-laden truck, carrying homebound Eid holidaymakers, overturned in the district's Pirganj upazila. Police say the death count may rise as 10 victims have suffered critical injuries in the accident on the Dhaka-Rangpur Highway's Kolabagan area around 6am on Saturday. The victims are mostly readymade garment workers and day labourers, Pirganj police's Officer-in-Charge Rejaul Karim told the Dhaka Tribune. One of the injured, Momtaz Begum, said: "All of us, we are from the same upazila. So every Eid, we take buses home together. But this time we were unable to get any tickets, so we chartered the truck for Tk20,000 to carry the 25 of us. The driver picked up several more passengers near Jamuna Bridge despite our protests. Moreover, he was very drowsy as he drove. We warned him several times, but he did not pay much heed to us. Then he switched seats with the helper to take a nap." Four of the deceased have been identified as Alamgir, 25, his brother-in-law Delowar, 22, Saddam, 23, and Munir, 22 – all hailing from Lalmonirhat's Kaliganj. The critically injured 10 were shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital after their conditions deteriorated. Seven of them have been identified as Jamila Begum, 55, Moyna Begum, 30, Mominul Islam, 35, Khalil, 25, Dulal, 30, and Motin, 25, also hailing from Kaliganj. Among the deceased, 11 people were killed on the spot after the truck overturned and six others died at a local hospital. The victims, all of them readymade garment workers and day labourers, were coming to Rangpur from Gazipur perched on top of the cement-laden truck. Borodarga Highway Police Assistant Superintendent Dhirendra Nath Sarkar told the Dhaka Tribune that the truck was filled to the brim with cement. "On top of the cargo, it was carrying 40 passengers. It was a huge risk on all of their parts.  The fact that the driver gave the wheel to the helper to take a nap shows irresponsibility and an utter disregard for regulations. This is why this unfortunate accident took place," ASP Dhirendra Nath said. Road accidents are common in Bangladesh during the Eid season when millions of people travel back home. This triggers an acute transport crisis while the overwhelming demand pushes up ticket prices. Many desperate commuters, particularly the poor who cannot afford overpriced tickets, often undertake perilous journey riding on the roofs of trains, buses, trucks and launches.