Tragedy struck in the early hours of Wednesday when a microbus carrying a family returning home from Dhaka plunged into a canal in Begumganj upazila of Noakhali, killing seven members of the same family.
The victims, including women and children, were en route to their home in Lakshmipur after welcoming a son returning from abroad.
The accident occurred around 5:00 am in Purbo Jagadishpur area of Alaiyapur Union. The microbus, carrying 11 passengers, veered off the road and fell into a canal, reportedly due to driver drowsiness.
According to Noakhali Fire Service officials, four passengers, including the driver, managed to escape, while seven others, all seated in the rear, died on the spot.
The deceased have been identified as Foyzun Nesa (80), Khurshida Begum (55), Kabita Begum (30), Laboni Begum (30), Reshmi Akhter (10), Lamia Akhter (9), and Meem Akhter (2). All were members of the same family from Kasari Bari in Chowpali area of Lakshmipur Sadar upazila.
The family was returning from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after receiving Abdul Bahar, son of Abdur Rahim, who had returned home after three years of working in Oman. Bahar, who survived the crash, recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the accident.
“The vehicle was floating like a boat in the canal. I begged the driver to unlock the doors so everyone could escape, but he fled through a window instead. Later, a few of us managed to break the windows and get out, but the others, including my mother, wife, and daughter, didn’t make it,” he said tearfully.
Earlier during the journey, the family had urged the driver to rest if needed, as he had nearly dozed off while driving through Cumilla. Bahar believes the driver’s sleepiness caused the fatal crash.
At the family home in Lakshmipur, a somber scene unfolded as the bodies were laid out in seven adjacent rooms. Hundreds of relatives and neighbors gathered in mourning. Abdur Rahim, father of Bahar and husband of one of the deceased, lay speechless with tears rolling down his cheeks, unable to process the loss.
Local Union Parishad Chairman Md Mizanur Rahman described the incident as a devastating blow to the community. "The entire village is in mourning after the deaths of seven women and children from a single family," he said.
