Azad, Lakshmipur Correspondent: Fatema Akhter was walking across the road with a friend, heading home after madrasa, as she typically did. However, she never made it home. Her head lay on one side of the road while her lifeless body rested on the other. A promising seventh-grade student from Rakhalia Madrasa, she tragically lost her life in a road accident on the regional highway in Raipur, Laxmipur.
In response, the villagers of Rakhalia and the family of the deceased blocked the road for an hour, from 3 to 4 pm, demanding justice for the incident. Eventually, police arrived at the scene, managed to restore order, and normal traffic resumed.
The victim was identified as Fatema Akhter, aged 14, the daughter of Ismail Hossain, a resident of Mandar Bari in Dalalbazar UP. Her friend, Halima Akhter, also 14 and a fellow student, sustained injuries in the incident.
The accident took place on Saturday, July 26, around 2:45 pm, in Rakhalia village along the Raipur-Lakshmipur regional highway.
On Friday evening, a CNG truck collided head-on with a covered van in Rakhalia village on the same highway. A woman named Saleha Begum was rescued but unfortunately died en route to Dhaka. The collision resulted in injuries to four individuals, including one woman.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Md. Rajan from Raipur Police Station confirmed the incident, stating, “Fatema was crossing the highway with her friend after their madrasa break when she was struck by Anand Paribahan, which was speeding recklessly from Laxmipur to Raipur. Fatema’s head was severed at the scene, and her body was found separated. Another student was critically injured during the incident. The injured were later rescued and transported to Sadar Hospital.”
He added that Fatema Akter Maryam’s body has been placed in the hospital morgue for an autopsy. The driver involved in the incident has been arrested, and the Anand Paribahan vehicle has been confiscated at the police station.
Masud Hossain, a relative of the victim, stated, “Fatema and her friends were crossing the highway after the madrasa holiday. They received word that Fatima had been involved in a road accident. Upon our arrival at Sadar Hospital, we discovered she was deceased.”
He added, “Ananda Paribahan has consistently operated its vehicles at dangerous speeds towards Raipur after Dalal Bazar to adhere to their schedule over the past few years.” This reckless behavior has cost many lives. We demand severe punishment.
Raipur Police Station OC Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan reported that a madrasa student was killed and another injured while crossing the highway in Rakhalia village after the holiday on Saturday afternoon. The day before, one individual was killed and four others injured in a separate road accident. After being assured of appropriate justice, the road blockade was lifted. The driver and the vehicle have been apprehended. The case is currently under investigation.
