A tragic accident on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway claimed the lives of five people, including four members of the same family and the driver of an ambulance. The collision occurred on Thursday, May 8, around 12:45 PM in front of the Talukdar Pump area in Nimtala under Sirajdikhan upazila of Munshiganj district.

According to police and eyewitness reports, an ambulance heading towards Dhaka had pulled over on the expressway after one of its tires punctured. While the vehicle was stationary near the Talukdar Pump area, a Dhaka-bound passenger bus operated by Golden Line Transport collided with the rear of the ambulance at high speed.

At the time of the impact, several passengers from the ambulance are believed to have been standing behind the vehicle. As a result, a 35-year-old woman was killed on the spot. Five other individuals, including two women and three men, sustained critical injuries and were immediately transported to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for emergency treatment.

Medical authorities later confirmed that two women and two men succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities to five. The victims include Abdus Samad Fakir, his son Billah Fakir, his daughter Afsana, and the driver of the ambulance. The identity of the fifth victim, who also died at the hospital, has yet to be officially confirmed.

Officer-in-Charge Abdul Kader Jilani of Hasara Highway Police Station confirmed the incident and the fatalities to local media. He stated that the body of the woman who died at the scene was recovered and taken to the Hasara Highway Police Station, while the injured were rushed to the hospital, where four of them later died.

The OC further explained that the relatively undamaged condition of the ambulance led investigators to believe that the victims may have been standing behind the vehicle, rather than seated inside, at the time of the crash. This hypothesis is based on the pattern of injuries and the external damage observed on the vehicles involved.

The passenger bus responsible for the accident has been seized by authorities. An investigation into the circumstances leading up to the crash is underway, and law enforcement officials are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby locations and taking witness statements to determine whether negligence or speeding played a role in the incident.

The accident has brought renewed attention to road safety concerns on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway, a critical transportation corridor connecting the capital to southern regions of the country. Questions have also been raised about emergency response protocols and the vulnerability of halted vehicles on high-speed expressways.

Family members of the deceased have been notified, and arrangements for post-mortem examinations are being coordinated. Meanwhile, police officials have assured that legal proceedings will be initiated following the conclusion of their investigation.

This incident adds to a growing list of fatal accidents on Bangladesh’s highways, highlighting the urgent need for stricter enforcement of traffic laws and improved safety measures for both public and emergency vehicles.