Bangladesh

At least 10 killed as bus and truck collide head-on in Natore

The RP Paribahan bus was travelling from Barishal to Rajshahi when it met a sand-laden truck at Bonpara before dawn. Rescue workers pulled passengers from the wreckage, and the toll rose through the morning.

ScrollBeat DeskPublished: 20 Oct 2026, 08:35

The N6 highway at Natore in Bangladesh, where the Natore-Pabna route runs (file photo, February 2024). — The N6 highway at Natore in Bangladesh, on the route where the 20 October 2026 bus-truck collision at Bonpara happened (file photo, February 2024). Anup Sadi, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

At least 10 people were killed and more than 25 injured when a passenger bus and a sand-laden truck collided head-on on the Natore-Pabna highway at Bonpara early on Tuesday, police and fire service officials said.

The collision happened in front of the Bonpara police investigation centre in Baraigram upazila around 4:00am, according to Sub-Inspector Md Alamgir Hossain of Bonpara Highway Police. The bus, operated by RP Paribahan, was heading from Barishal to Rajshahi. The truck was travelling from Natore towards Pabna.

Nine people died at the scene, including the truck driver, and a child died later at Natore Sadar Hospital, Prothom Alo reported. Three more injured passengers died at other hospitals, taking the toll to 13 by 8:15am, the officer told the newspaper. The Daily Star reported at least 10 deaths and said the number could rise.

At least 30 injured passengers were taken to Natore General Hospital, Baraigram Upazila Health Complex and other hospitals, said Akhtar Hamid Khan, assistant deputy director of the Natore Fire Service and Civil Defence station. Some passengers were trapped inside the crushed bus, slowing the rescue, officials said.

Three fire service units worked at the scene. The wreckage blocked the highway and caused a long traffic jam around Bonpara. Police had not released the names of the dead by Tuesday morning and said they were still investigating the cause.

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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman begins day-long tour of Durga Puja pavilions in three divisions

He flew to Saidpur on Tuesday morning and is due to greet devotees in Rangpur, Rajshahi and Chattogram, with his office calling it the first such visit outside Dhaka by a head of government.

ScrollBeat Desk20 Oct 2026, 10:24Open this article

The prime minister's delegation sits aboard a military aircraft on the way to Saidpur on Tuesday morning. — The prime minister's delegation aboard the military aircraft to Saidpur on the morning of 20 October 2026, at the start of the Durga Puja pavilion visits. BNP Media Cell

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Tejgaon airport by military aircraft at 9am on Tuesday for Saidpur, beginning a day-long tour of Durga Puja pavilions in Rangpur, Rajshahi and Chattogram on Maha Navami.

He is due at the Radha Gobinda Temple in Rangpur at 10am, then the Dharmasabha temple in Rajshahi at 1:15pm, before addressing a public rally at the Haji Muhammad Mohsin Government High School ground at 3pm. In the evening he will visit the JM Sen Hall pavilion in Chattogram's Rahmatganj at 5:30pm and return to Dhaka at 9:15pm.

Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman told the state news agency BSS that it was the first time a head of government in Bangladesh would visit Durga Puja mandaps outside the capital during the festival. The prime minister would exchange greetings with devotees, he said.

Press Secretary Saleh Shibli said the government had taken all necessary measures for the smooth celebration of the festival. "The government's policy is that religion belongs to each individual, but everyone has the right to security," The Daily Star quoted him as saying. He said allocations had been increased, holidays extended and support provided to puja mandaps.

Cabinet ministers and senior BNP leaders are travelling with the prime minister, including Women and Children Affairs Minister AZM Zahid Hossain, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam and BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

On Sunday night, he visited puja pavilions in Dhaka's Mohakhali and Banani areas with his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman.

Tuesday is Maha Navami, the ninth day of Sharadiya Durga Puja. The festival ends on Wednesday with the immersion of the idols.

Sources & further reading

bdnews24: Tarique heads to Rangpur to visit Puja pavilions on Maha Navami The Daily Star: PM leaves Dhaka to visit Durga Puja mandaps in three districts Prothom Alo: PM to visit puja pavilions in three divisions

NEXT STORY World

France imposes curfews in Paris and other cities after weekend riots

Police restricted movement in Place de la République and Les Halles, and mayors curbed minors' movements in Lille, Nice and elsewhere, after more than 2,500 arrests and damage to thousands of businesses.

ScrollBeat Desk20 Oct 2026, 10:24Open this article

Demonstrators stand in drifting tear gas at Place de la République in Paris during the October 2026 riots. — Demonstrators gather as tear gas drifts across Place de la République in Paris on 17 October 2026. Jorge Jaramillo / JJxFile.com, CC BY-SA 4.0

France has imposed overnight curfews in parts of Paris and several other cities after a weekend of rioting and looting that led to more than 2,500 arrests.

In Paris, police ordered an 11pm to 6am curfew in Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping district, and banned gatherings from 8pm. Both areas saw clashes and looting at the weekend.

Local curfews for under-18s took effect in several northern cities including Lille, running from 8pm to 6am for two days, while Nice imposed a night curfew for minors from 9pm, the Associated Press reported.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the measures would be "very limited" and "localised", and that mayors would be empowered to impose curfews where needed. He did not rule out a state of emergency.

The unrest began with student demands for better school conditions and widened into protests over fuel prices, living costs and public services. About 550,000 people joined demonstrations across the country on Saturday, according to the BBC.

Masked groups attacked police, set cars and bicycles alight and broke into public buildings. A fire largely destroyed the 19th-century town hall in Limoges. The chambers of commerce said more than 2,000 businesses were directly affected, with damage estimated in the tens of millions of euros.

Nearly 1,000 police officers were injured, and one protester lost a hand to a police grenade, AFP reported.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered to resign after acknowledging that police had lost control in some cities. President Emmanuel Macron refused the resignation, and blamed "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals" for the violence.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 67 people had been jailed and dozens of criminal cases opened. About 200 investigators are examining CCTV footage to identify organisers, the BBC reported.

Lecornu said the government would fund the restoration of damaged areas and introduce a law to recover the cost from those responsible. He also announced partial unemployment payments for people unable to work because of the unrest.

The United States, China and Germany advised their citizens to avoid affected areas. Looted goods appeared on resale platforms; Vinted said listings of stolen items were banned and that its teams were removing them.

Sources & further reading

BBC News Bangla: rioting across France and curfews in Paris and other cities Hindustan Times: France steps up security after worst riots in years