2 more students killed in accidents amid protests for road safety

Two more students were killed in separate road accidents in Feni and Moulvibazar on Sunday amidst protests for road safety and justice for victims of road mishaps at places across the country, including Dhaka, Gazipur, Moulvibazar and Sylhet.
Of the deceased Sumon Mia, 24, son of Babul Mia of Bhanugachh under Kamalganj in Moulvibazar, was a honours final year student of Shreemangal Government College and Tanha Akhter, 7, daughter of Nasir Uddin of Charlamachhi under Sonagazi in Feni, was a class II student of Mongazi Government Primary School.
The incidents took the number of students killed in road accidents in the country to 11 since March 19, when students took to the street and blocked roads on issues of road safety as Bangladesh University of Professionals student Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury was run over and killed by a speeding Suprabhat Paribahan bus on a Zebra Crossing at Bashundhara in Dhaka.
The students of Sylhet Agricultural University on Sunday staged demonstration in Sylhet city and announced to boycott academic activities for three days until Tuesday protesting against death of their fellow Ghori Md 
Wasim Afnan, who was killed after being pushed off a bus that ran him over on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Sherpur in Moulvibazar on Saturday. 
New Age correspondent in Moulvibazar reported that Sumon Mia became critically injured as he was hit by a speeding auto-rickshaw near Upazila Complex of Kamalganj upazila town at 12:30pm. Locals rescued him and took him to Upazila Health Complex from where he was sent to Sadar Hospital for better treatment.
Later, when his condition deteriorated Sumon was referred to Dhaka but he died on the way, said Kamalganj police station officer-in-charge Arifur Rahman.
He said that they seized the auto-rickshaw but its driver managed to flee.
The students of Shreemangal Government College formed a human chain in Shreemangal upazila town for about an hour since 5:00pm, protesting against the death of Sumon, proper compensation for the family, immediate arrest of the auto-rickshaw driver and necessary measures for road safety.
New Age Correspondent in Feni reported that Tanha Akhter died at Chattogram Medical College Hospital Sunday afternoon, hours after she was critically injured after being hit by an auto-rickshaw at Mongazi bazar under Sonagazi upazila around 8:00am.
Local people said that they rescued her and took her to the upazila health complex from where she was shifted to Feni Sadar Hospitan and then to Chattogram Medical College where she died in the afternoon.
Sonagazi Police Station officer-in-charge Moazzem Hossain said that they were yet to identify the auto-rickshaw and its driver.
In Gazipur, Students blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh-Tangail highway at Gazipur intersection on Sunday morning demanding safer roads and protesting the killing of two college students in a road crash on Saturday.
Several hundred students of different colleges including Bhawal College, Lincoln College, 
City College and Commerce College gathered on the highway and blocked the busy intersection chanting slogans demanding 
arrest of the driver of the bus that killed their 
fellow Jumman Ahmed Nasir and Robin Hossain and safer roads across the country.
Jumman and Robin, first year students of Lincoln College, were killed as a bus hit them at Salna area in the district on Saturday.
In Dhaka, students from different educational institutions of the city on 
Sunday formed a human chain in front of Jamuna Future Park at Basundhara protesting at the death of fellow student Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury on March 19.
They were also seen helping police in controlling traffic, checking driving licences and fitness papers of vehicles.
The students started the protest programme around 9:00am as part of their continuous agitation they had started immediately after the death of Abrar.
Students continued their protest until 2:40pm when the Nirapad Sarak Chai chairman and film actor Illias Kanchon expressed solidarity with the students.
He urged all to carry on a peaceful movement for safe road and also inspired the students to create awareness about the issue.
The students at the spot handed over three buses to police for not having legal papers.
The protesting students in Dhaka suspended their protests between March 21 and March 28 after the authorities assured them of meeting their demands. 
The current spell of safe road movement began after seven months of the weeklong countrywide protests for road safety and justice for the victims after two students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College in Dhaka were killed 
and 12 more were injured when a bus ploughed through a crowd at Kurmitola in the capital on July 29, 2018.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net