Same date, same upazila: 12 die in Baraigram crash 12 years after 35 killed
Seven-member probe formed; Tk1 lakh promised to bereaved families.
Twelve people were killed in a road crash in Natore's Baraigram upazila today (20 October), exactly 12 years after 35 people died in another crash in the same upazila on 20 October 2014.
The latest crash occurred around 4:30am in the Sarkarpara area on the Natore-Pabna highway, when an RP Paribahan passenger bus collided head-on with a sand-laden truck. Around 30 people were injured, several of them critically.
Natore Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shariful Haque confirmed the death toll of 12 to The Business Standard, saying nine people died at the scene, one on the way to hospital, one at Baraigram Upazila Health Complex and another at a clinic in Baraigram.
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Police initially received information that 14 people had died. However, after identifying the bodies, they confirmed that the death toll was 12, the SP said.
Two to three injured passengers were in critical condition and had been admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, he added.
Shamim Hossain, a sub-inspector at Bonpara Police Investigation Centre, said the bus was travelling from Barguna to Chapainawabganj when it collided with the truck coming from the opposite direction.
Assistant Deputy Director of Natore Fire Service and Civil Defence Station Akhtar Hamid Khan said rescue teams rushed to the scene and worked to rescue passengers trapped inside the badly damaged bus.
The injured were taken to hospitals in Natore and Rajshahi, he added.
Five Shariatpur traders among the dead
Five traders from Zajira upazila in Shariatpur were among those killed. They were travelling to Taherpur in Rajshahi to purchase agricultural products for their businesses.
The deceased were Jewel Madbor of Ramkrishnapur Madborkandi, Salal Mollah of Dubisaybar Molyakandi, Sohag Shikder of Dubisaybar Kazirhat, Samad Fakir of Kazirhat and Shahin Bepari of Kathuria in Palerchar union.
Two other traders from Zajira, Faisal and Alamgir Madbor, were injured.
Aminul Islam, joint general secretary of the Kazirhat Traders' Association, confirmed that seven traders had travelled together, of whom five were killed and two injured.
The other seven deceased were identified as Sohel Rana, 40, from Godagari in Rajshahi; Anowar Haque, 30, from Bagmara in Rajshahi; Tasfia, 8, and Shahidul Islam, 45, from Mirzaganj in Patuakhali; Abu Kalam, 56, from Jhenaidah Sadar; Russell, 33, from Sapahar in Naogaon; and Himesh Jamadar, 35, from Faridpur Sadar.
The bodies have been handed over to their families. No case had been filed over the accident as of today, while traffic on the Natore-Pabna highway returned to normal.
Twelve years since Baraigram tragedy
On 20 October 2014, at least 35 people were killed and dozens injured when two passenger buses collided on the Bonpara-Hatikumrul highway in the same upazila.
A Dhaka-to-Rajshahi bus operated by Keya Paribahan collided with an Athoi Paribahan bus travelling from Natore to Gurudaspur.
Witnesses said the Keya Paribahan bus had overtaken a truck before colliding with the oncoming bus. Both vehicles went off the road on impact, with one plunging into Chalan Beel and the other into a ditch.
The two incidents, 12 years apart but on the same date in the same upazila, come amid a high road accident death toll nationwide.
According to the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association, 9,111 people were killed in road accidents in Bangladesh in 2025. In September 2026 alone, 423 people died in road crashes, according to the Road Safety Foundation.
Seven-member probe committee formed
The Natore district administration has formed a seven-member committee, headed by Additional District Magistrate Abul Hayat, to investigate today's crash.
According to an office order issued today, the committee will visit the accident site and investigate the cause of the collision. It has been asked to submit its report within seven working days.
Officials have also contacted the relevant ministry about widening the road at the accident site. Further steps will be taken following discussions, according to the latest update.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Sangsad Whip M Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu announced that each deceased person's family would receive Tk1 lakh in financial assistance on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
