Madrasa student killed in Tongi road crash, Dhaka-Mymensingh highway blocked in protest

Students have blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and staged protests after a ninth-grade student of Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrasa, Yasin Ali, 17, was killed in a road accident in Tongi, Gazipur. The students began their protest by taking position on the highway in the Gazipura area from 10:30am on Sunday. The blockade continued until 3pm, causing severe traffic congestion on both sides of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. Passengers and drivers of long-haul buses and other vehicles suffered immensely due to the disruption.

The deceased, Yasin Ali, was the son of Ripon Mia from the Nayapara area of Sujanagar Police Station in Pabna. He lived with his family in a rented house in the Gazipura Kazipara area of Tongi. He was a ninth-grade student at Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrasa.

Students said Yasin was severely injured after being hit by a covered van while crossing the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway near Gazipura bus stand on Saturday evening. When news of his death spread, anger and discontent erupted among the madrasa students. In protest, they took to the highway on Sunday morning and began their demonstration.

The driver of the covered van fled the scene after the accident. Police have seized the covered van and taken it to Tongi East Police Station. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest the absconding driver.

The protesting students have demanded the construction of speed bumps or effective speed breakers to control fast-moving vehicles in the Gazipura area. They have also demanded the construction of a footbridge to ensure safe crossing of the highway for students and the general public. Additionally, they have called for regular monitoring and effective measures to control vehicle speed and prevent accidents.

Due to the student blockade, vehicular pressure increased on both sides of the highway. Passengers suffered as long-haul buses, freight vehicles and other vehicles remained stuck. Police were deployed at the scene to control the situation and attempted to persuade the students to withdraw the blockade.

Tongi East Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mehedi Hasan said efforts are being made to control the situation through dialogue with the students. The seized covered van has been kept at the police station, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest the absconding driver.