Couple die in road crash while returning after finalising son’s wedding date

A couple were killed when their auto-rickshaw collided head-on with a lorry in Purbadhala upazila of Netrokona last night while returning home after visiting a prospective bride for their son.

The deceased were identified as Md Nizam Uddin, 55, a local auto-rickshaw driver, and his wife Rokeya Khatun, 45, of Chhochhaura village in the upazila, said Md Nurul Alam, officer-in-charge of Purbadhala Police Station.

The couple's daughter Sumaiya, 17, and Rokeya's elder brother Nayeeb Ali suffered serious injuries in the crash.

The accident occurred around 8:00pm in Paboi area on the Shyamganj–Birishiri road. The family had travelled to Shyamganj on their own auto-rickshaw to formalise a marriage proposal and were returning home after confirming the wedding date, the OC said, quoting family members.

Driven by Nizam, the auto-rickshaw was struck head-on by a speeding lorry coming from the opposite direction. Nizam and Rokeya died on the spot, while their daughter and her uncle were critically injured, the police official said.

Police recovered the bodies and transported the injured to Purbadhala Upazila Health Complex.

Local residents managed to detain the lorry driver, Md Rasel, 30, and his assistant Mehedi Hasan, and handed them over to police.

No case has been filed in this regard and the bodies were brought to the police station, the OC said in the morning.