The death toll from traffic accidents on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway in Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet rose to six on Thursday night . The victims include four members of the same family.
The deceased have been identified as the CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Juned Ahmed, 28, his associate Jahangir Alam, 30, two-year-old Khadiza Begum, four-year-old Karima Begum, 12-year-old Arifa Begum, and Hamida Begum, 28.
Kamruzzaman of Osmaninagar upazila, identified Khadiza and Karima as his daughters, Arifa as his niece, and Hamida as his sister-in-law.
Locals and police said a Sylhet-bound bus hit a CNG-run auto rickshaw around 8pm, leaving Juned dead on the spot and wounding five others.
The injured were rushed to Sylhet Osmani Medical College and Hospital where on duty doctors declared Hamida, Jahangir, Arifa, Karima, and Khadiza dead.
Sherpur Highway police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ershadul Hoque Bhuiya confirmed the matter.
The deceased will be handed over to their family members, he added.
After the accident, agitated locals blocked the highway for hours, halting traffic on both sides of the highway.
Informed, fire service and police reached the spot to seize the two vehicles involved in the accident, calmed down the agitated crowd, returning traffic movement to normal.
