At least eight people were killed and three others injured in separate road accidents in Moulvibazar, Joypurhat, Tangail, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Tangail and Nilphamari districts on Saturday, reports the UNB.

In Moulvibazar, a university student was crushed to death by a bus after its helper reportedly pushed him off the vehicle at Sherpur in Sadar upazila in the afternoon.

The deceased was identified as Wasim Afnan, 22, a 4th-year student of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering department of Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) and son of M Abu Zahed Mahbub and Dr Mina Parvin of Rudra village in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj.

According to witnesses and victim’s friends, 11 students of the university boarded a Sylhet-bound bus of ‘Udar Paribahan’ coming from Mymensingh at the Toll Plaza in Habiganj after attending a wedding ceremony. 

They decided to get down from the bus at Sherpur. At that time, a brawl broke out with the bus helper over fare which was later settled, said SAU student Shiplu Roy.

As Wasim was the last man to come down of the bus, its helper pushed him out of the vehicle around 5pm and the driver soon sped away. Under the impact of the push, the university student went beneath the wheels and was eventually run over by the bus, he said.

Wounded critically, Wasim was sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead, said sub-inspector Faruque Ahmed of the hospital police camp.

Sub-inspector Quamrul Islam of Sherpur Highway Police said the accident happened as the helper closed the bus door before the student got down from it.

Police seized the bus from Begumganj of Osmaningar upazila of Sylhet and arrested its driver but its helper remained absconding.

Meanwhile, students of the university took to the streets and staged demonstrations at the Sylhet bus terminal in South Surma protesting the death of their fellow.

They also announced to boycott classes on Sunday and observe it as the mourning day.

In Joypurhat, two motorcyclists were killed and another was severely injured in a head-on collision with another motorbike on Panchbibi-Kamdia road in Panchbibi upazila around 3pm.

The deceased were identified as Tabibur Rahman Mondal, 55, son of late Mafiz Uddin of Panial village, and Mahfuz Akhter, 22, son of Aijul Islam of Danejpur village in the same upazila.

Injured Ratul Prashad Goala was rushed to Joypurhat Modern Hospital and later shifted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura considering the severity of his injury, said Bozlar Rahman, officer-in-charge of Panchbibi Police Station. 

In Tangail, two young men were killed when their motorcycle crashed into a roadside palm tree at Taltola in Basail upazila at night. 

The deceased were identified as Shawon Khan, 27, son of Lal Khan, and Jamil, 25, son of Billal of Kamutia village in the upazila. 

Quoting locals, SM Tuhin Ali, officer-in-charge of Basail Police Station, said Shawon and Jamil were going to join a pre-election gathering at Ekdal village in a motorcycle. 

However, their speedy bike hit the tree around 7:45pm, leaving them dead on the spot. 

In Munshiganj, a sixth-grader boy died after he was run over by a passenger bus on Dhaka-Mawa Highway in Medinimandal area of Lauhajang upazila. 

The deceased was identified as Antar, 12, son of Md Raza Miah of the same area. He was a student of Mediniganj Anwar Ali High School.

The speeding bus hit him while giving space to another vehicle, killing Antar on the spot, said Golam Morshed Talukder, in-charge of Hashara Highway Police Outpost. 

Students of the school and locals put barricades on the road, interrupting vehicular movement for about two and a half hours.

In Gazipur, a motorcyclist was killed and two pillion riders were injured in an accident involving three vehicles on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Salna area in the city. 

The deceased was identified as Jumman Hossain, a college student and son of Zahangir Alam, hailing from Baopara area in the city.

In Nilphamari, a teenage female worker was killed when a bus hit an auto-rickshaw at Shimultoli village in Sadar upazila of Nilphamari at night. 

The deceased was identified as Babita Rani Dutta, 16, a worker of a factory in Uttara Export Processing Zone and daughter of Sunil Dutta of the village. 

Shahjahan Pasha, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said Babita was returning home from her workplace around 10:30pm. 

The bus knocked the auto-rickshaw she was travelling in from behind, leaving her dead on the spot. 

On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, the OC added.