At least seven people, including women and children, died early Wednesday (August 6) when a microbus lost control and plunged into a canal in Begumganj’s Chandraganj Purba Bazar area in Noakhali.

According to Chandraganj Highway Police Officer-in-Charge Md Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan, the vehicle was carrying an Oman expatriate and his family from Dhaka Airport to Noakhali when it veered off the road at Jagadishpur and fell into the WAPDA canal around 5:40 AM.

While some passengers managed to escape, others were trapped inside and drowned. The identities of the deceased have yet to be confirmed.

Fire Service media officer Md Talha Bin Jasim said a rescue unit from Chowmuhani Fire Station reached the spot at 6:05 AM and recovered the vehicle from the canal.

The incident has cast a pall of grief over the local area as authorities continue to investigate the accident.

Gopalganj observed the July Uprising Day on Tuesday (August 5) through a series of events including tributes to the martyrs, rallies, and politically charged speeches by opposition parties.

The day began with floral tributes at the grave of Shaheed Moinul and six other victims of the 2024 uprising. District Commissioner Muhammad Kamruzzaman informed that 7 people from Gopalganj were killed and 42 injured during the movement in Dhaka. A tree was planted in memory of each martyr. Later, a discussion and gift distribution event was held with the families of the martyrs at the DC’s conference room.

In the afternoon, BNP leaders and activists took out a “Victory Rally” from the party’s office. During the rally, district BNP convener Sharif Rafiquzzaman claimed, “This day marks the fall of dictator Sheikh Hasina and the return of democracy.”

Simultaneously, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami organized a mass procession. In a subsequent gathering, district Ameer Rezaul Karim declared, “A true patriot never flees. Sheikh Hasina fled the country on this day. She tried to suppress Jamaat, but like a river’s current, we cannot be stopped.”

Both opposition parties used the occasion to highlight their narratives about the uprising and criticize the former regime.

The Dhaka-bound-to-Khulna Jahanabad Express train derailed at Singia Railway Station in Jashore on Sunday night (3 August) at around 11:15 pm. No casualties were reported in the incident.

According to train director Abdullah Al Mamun, the train departed from Kamalapur Railway Station at 8:00 pm and was scheduled to arrive in Khulna at 11:45 pm. However, just 40 seconds after leaving Singia Station, the train’s engine and one carriage derailed. Thanks to its low speed, a major accident was averted, though passengers experienced severe inconvenience.

Passengers Shariful Islam, Al-Amin Islam, Monir Hossain, and Salma Khatun said they heard a sudden loud bang followed by a strong jolt before the train came to a halt. They later realized it had derailed.

Singia Railway Station Master Riad Khan confirmed the derailment occurred on Line 1, with the train currently stationed at the platform. Other lines remain operational. A relief train from Khulna is on its way to the site.