Three Young Men Killed in Head-On Collision of Two Speeding Motorcycles on Jashore-Benapole Highway, Two More Critical
Three young men have been killed in a head-on collision between two speeding motorcycles on the Jashore-Benapole highway. The crash happened at around midnight on Friday in the Natunhat area of Jashore Sadar Upazila. Two more people were seriously injured, and their condition is said to be critical.
The dead are Ariful Islam Joy, 22, son of Shahidul Islam of Bejpara in Jashore; Shahriar Hossain Rohan, 18, son of Motiar Rahman of the same area; and Siam Hossain, 17, son of Shamim Hossain of Mondalgati village. All three were young — one of them was only 17 years old.
The two injured are Omar Faruk, son of Abdul Kader of Mondalgati village, and Rakib Hasan Rifat, son of Ruhul Amin. They were admitted to the 250-bed Jashore General Hospital. Both of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
Police sources said that late on Friday night, Ariful Islam Joy and Shahriar Hossain Rohan were returning to Jashore from Benapole. At the same time, Siam Hossain, Omar Faruk and Rakib Hasan Rifat were travelling from Jashore towards Benapole. The two motorcycles collided head-on in the Natunhat area.
The collision killed both motorcycle drivers, Joy and Siam, and Joy's passenger Rohan on the spot. The passengers on the Benapole-bound motorcycle, Omar Faruk and Rakib Hasan Rifat, were injured. Local people later rescued the injured and took them to the 250-bed Jashore General Hospital.
Local resident Nayan Hossain said both motorcycles were travelling at high speed. When they reached the Natunhat area, they lost control and collided head-on. He also raised the question of where young men go and what they do so late at night.
Another local resident, Reshma Khatun, said that as soon as night falls, the movement of young people increases on the Jashore-Benapole highway. Most motorcycles carry three people each and are driven recklessly. She said these groups include not only young men but several young women as well.
SI Md Keramat Ali, in charge of Navaran Highway Police Station, said the bodies of the dead were handed over to their families without post-mortem examination following the families' applications. Legal action in the matter is under process.
Three riders on a single motorcycle, reckless speed in the middle of the night and a head-on collision — every element of this crash is a familiar picture of the country's road safety crisis. Local complaints about risky late-night motorcycle riding by young people on the highway are long-standing.
The deaths of the three young men have plunged their families into deep grief. A shadow of mourning has also fallen over the Bejpara and Mondalgati areas. The loss of so many young lives from the same area at once has left local people stunned.
The two injured are being treated at Jashore General Hospital. Their families and relatives are now watching to see whether their condition improves. Hospital sources said both remain in critical condition.
The crash is another reminder of how reckless speed and rule-breaking on the roads are taking young lives in a moment. While legal steps are under process, the roles of families, society and law-enforcement agencies in prevention are all now coming to the fore.
