Five people, including four members of the same family and a driver, were killed in a head-on collision between a state-run BRTC bus and an ambulance on the Faridpur-Barisal highway yesterday.
The fatal crash, which occurred around 10:45 AM on Sunday (May 24) at Shankarpasha in Nagarkanda upazila, has exposed severe regulatory failures. Investigation reveals that the "ambulance" was a illegally modified pickup truck operating without papers for 17 years, while the government-owned BRTC bus lacked a valid fitness certificate and tax clearance for years.
The deceased have been identified as Alamgir Hossain (58), his brother Jahangir Hossain (62), Alamgir’s wife Khushi Begum (45) and Jahangir’s wife Majeda Begum (50). All four were residents of Balia village under Mostafapur union in Madaripur Sadar upazila. The ambulance driver Kausar Hossain (25), son of Shahjahan Matubbar from Madaripur was also killed.
Family sources said the group was traveling from Madaripur to Faridpur Medical College Hospital to seek treatment for a sick relative when the accident occurred.
According to local residents and highway police, the Faridpur-bound ambulance attempted to overtake a van in the Shankarpasha area. During the maneuver, it collided head-on with a Dhaka-bound Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) passenger bus coming from the opposite direction. The impact completely crushed the ambulance, killing all five occupants on the spot.
A post-accident inspection by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) exposed shocking violations of road safety laws by both vehicles.
Palash Khisa, Assistant Director of Faridpur BRTA, revealed that the vehicle registered as an ambulance (Dhaka Metro-Chha 11-1229) was originally a pickup truck. It had been illegally sliced and modified to look like an ambulance. BRTA records show the vehicle's fitness and taxes were last updated 17 years ago on May 15, 2009, by its listed owner, Mobarak Hossain of Mirpur, Dhaka. The vehicle is believed to have changed hands multiple times since without any legal registration.
Furthermore, the state-owned BRTC bus (Dhaka Metro-Ba 15-6436) involved in the crash was also operating illegally. Its fitness certificate expired on October 21, 2024, and the government transport authority has failed to pay its vehicle taxes since December 5, 2023.
"These are not accidents; these are institutional murders," said Abrar Nadim Itu, President of the Faridpur chapter of the Safe Road Movement. "How can a fake ambulance run on national highways for 17 years undetected? How can a state-run BRTC bus operate without fitness and tax clearances for years? This tragedy is a direct result of zero institutional oversight."
No formal case has been filed yet with the Bhanga Highway Police Station. Officer-in-Charge Md. Helal Uddin stated that the grief-stricken families requested time due to ongoing medical emergencies at home but have promised to file a case within the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the government has formed a four-member probe committee to investigate the tragedy. Headed by Faridpur Additional District Magistrate Sushmita Saha, the committee includes BRTA Assistant Director Palash Khisa as Member Secretary, along with senior representatives from the Highway Police and the Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC) of BUET.
"We have initiated the investigation," Additional District Magistrate Sushmita Saha said. "A comprehensive report detailing the systemic failures and recommendations will be submitted immediately following the Eid holidays."
