Bus driver loses entire family in Cumilla train-bus collision

Bus driver Pintu Mia lost his entire family in the horrific collision between a bus and a train at Paduar Bazar rail crossing in Cumilla district. Pintu is devastated by the loss of his wife and two daughters.

A bus driver by profession, Pintu earned his living by ensuring the safe travel of passengers, but he lost his family in a horrific accident in the same transport system.

Pintu Mia, a resident of Maheshpur upazila of Jhenaidah district, lived with his family in Manikadi area of ​​Dhaka Cantonment. He worked as a driver for 'Mamun Special' transport. During the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, he went to his village home in Jhenaidah with his wife and two daughters.

On the afternoon of Eid, he decided to send his wife Laiju Akhter and their two daughters—six-year-old Khadija Akhter and three-and-a-half-year-old Maryam Akhter—to his in-laws' house in Hazirhat, Lakshmipur. As planned, Pintu boarded the 'Mamun Special' bus with his wife and daughters. The driver of the bus was Pintu Hossain himself. However, after driving to Dhaka, Pintu changed the driver there and got off on his own for personal work. His wife and two children remained in the bus. On the way, when the bus reached Paduar Bazar area of ​​Cumilla, it was hit by a train. Five passengers from Jhenaidah, including the mother and two children, lost their lives on the spot.

The accident occurred around 3:00 am on Sunday, March 21, at a railway crossing in the Paduar Bazar area.

According to police and local sources, a passenger bus named 'Mamun Special' heading from Chapainawabganj to Chattogram collided with a Dhaka-bound train coming from Chattogram. After the collision, the train dragged the bus for about a kilometre, increasing the casualty count.

Upon receiving the news, police and fire service personnel arrived at the scene and began rescue operations. The bodies of the deceased have been sent to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, and the injured have been admitted there.

Eyewitnesses and train passengers alleged that the accident was caused by negligence on the part of the signalman in charge of the railway gate. They also expressed anger that despite multiple calls to the emergency service number 999, no immediate response was received.

Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Assistant Director Md Idris said it is initially believed that the bus had moved onto the railway track due to the absence of a proper signal at the railway crossing.

Cumilla EPZ Police Outpost Inspector Mohammad Saiful Islam said rescue operations began at night upon receiving news of the accident.

Dr Ajoy Bhowmik, a physician in the emergency department of Cumilla Medical College Hospital, said 12 bodies had been brought to the hospital so far.