Third-grader killed by bus on way to school in Dinajpur

A nine-year-old schoolgirl was killed after being run over by a passenger bus while crossing a highway with her mother on her way to school in Dinajpur’s Fulbari on Tuesday morning.

The accident occurred around 7:45am near the bus stand-Bottoli area of Fulbari municipal town on the Dinajpur-Dhaka regional highway.

The deceased, Shipa Moni, was a Class Three student at North Point School in Fulbari. She was the daughter of Istamul Haque of Uttar Sujapur village. Her mother, Rikta Parvin, works as an attendant at the same school.

According to police and local residents, Shipa was crossing the highway with her mother when a speeding passenger bus travelling from Dinajpur towards Birampur hit her. The bus, identified as Shahi Dhaka Metro-Ba-12-3315, fled the scene after the crash.

Locals rescued the critically injured girl and took her to Fulbari Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared her dead.

News of Shipa’s death sparked anger among local residents. Protesters blocked the Dinajpur-Dhaka regional highway in front of the health complex from 9am to 10am, demanding the arrest of the driver responsible for the accident.

The blockade caused severe disruption to traffic, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway.

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The protesters withdrew the blockade after Fulbari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ahmed Hasan assured them that action would be taken.

Ferdous Alam, inspector (investigation) at Fulbari Police Station, said police had seized the bus and taken it to the police station. However, the driver and his assistant had fled.

After completing the legal formalities, police handed the body over to the family, he said.

“Legal action is being taken in connection with the incident,” Ferdous Alam said.