A mother, her daughter, and another passenger were killed Friday morning when a truck and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw collided head-on in Shantiganj upazila of Sunamganj.
The accident took place around 7:15 am in front of an old homestead at Shatrumardan Bagherkona village under Paschim Pagla union, on the Sylhet–Sunamganj regional highway.
Witnesses said a speeding Sylhet-bound truck rammed into the oncoming auto-rickshaw, leaving two people dead instantly. The victims were identified as Keshba Priya, 40, a resident of Ukilpara residential area, and her daughter Prathama Chowdhury, a seventh-grade student at Satish Chandra Girls’ High School. Another passenger, Sajal Ghosh, 50, from Nabinagar, also lost his life.
Prathama was rushed to Shantiganj Upazila Health Complex with severe injuries but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Her father, Pronoy Das, said the mother-daughter duo had been traveling to Sylhet to visit relatives. Family members described the tragedy as devastating, casting a pall of sorrow over the community.
Shantiganj Police Station officer-in-charge Abdul Ahad confirmed the incident, adding that the truck driver fled the scene immediately. “We are working to trace the truck and its driver. Legal action will follow after a full investigation,” he said.
Local residents expressed concerns over frequent accidents on the highway, attributing them to reckless speeding and unregulated traffic. They urged authorities to install speed breakers and strengthen surveillance to prevent further tragedies.
MN/
