An expatriate was killed after being hit by an unidentified vehicle at a U-turn on the Dhaka–Chittagong Highway in Comilla’s Sadar South on Thursday afternoon, triggering protests by locals.
The deceased was identified as Md Buta Mia, 55, who worked in Oman.
The accident occurred around 4:30 pm at the U-turn in front of Sadar South upazila, said Mainamati Highway Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Iqbal Bahar Majumder.
Following the incident, agitated residents blocked the highway and demanded the reopening of a previously closed U-turn near the Palli Bidyut office, causing a traffic jam stretching nearly 10 kilometres.
Highway police responded and, in line with the protesters’ demands, reopened the U-turn. Traffic has since resumed, and police are working to clear the congestion. The body of the deceased was recovered and taken to the police station; it will be handed over to the family after completion of legal procedures.
The closure of the U-turn had followed a fatal lorry accident at the Paduar Bazar U-turn on Friday, which killed four people. All vehicles from Paduar Bazar had been rerouted to the Sadar South upazila U-turn, three kilometres away, increasing traffic at the site.