Dhaka: Traffic mess now cut short the promising life of a meritorious student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) as he was crushed under the wheels of a recklessly driven bus in Azimpur area of the capital on Thursday morning.

The death of Khandaker Khanjahan Samrat, a first-year student of BUET, sparked off violent protests like breaking or burning cars in the area, police and witnesses said.

Shocked and enraged at the accident, hundreds of students BUET students ran riot, vandalizing and torching at least 33 vehicles.

The sources said the accident occurred at about 8.30 am while Samrat, son of KMS Alam, former Deputy Secretary of Social Welfare Ministry, was crossing the road in front of Govt. Eden College.

“The driver left the recklessly-driven bus of Winner Paribahan away from the spot and fled shortly after the accident,” says a spot account of the tragedy.

On information, police rushed in and sent Samrat to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the duty doctor declared him dead on arrival.

The demonstrating students blocked the road from the New Market inter-section to Palashi inter-section via Azimpur, halting traffic on the highly busy route almost all day long.

Police reinforcements were called in to get to grips with the situation.

After his namaz-e-janaja on the BUET campus, Samrat’s body was sent to his village home in Gopalganj district.
 

His friend Ripon told banglanews24.com, “Samrat was a brilliant student. He got golden A+ both at S.S.C. and H.S.C exams. He was the youngest brother of three sisters.”

BDST: 1215 HRS, May 27, 2010.
MHQ/MZ/SMS/MUA