Bangladesh

Bus and truck collide head-on in Natore, killing at least 13

At least 13 people died when an overnight coach and a sand-laden truck met head-on near Bonpara in Baraigram early on Tuesday. Police say the bus was overtaking and its fitness certificate had expired.

ScrollBeat DeskPublished: 20 Oct 2026, 17:16

File photo: the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway near Baraigram in Natore, where a bus and a truck collided head-on on 20 October 2026. The photo shows the highway in 2016, not the crash scene. Salim Khandoker / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

At least 13 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 in Baraigram upazila early on Tuesday, police and fire service officials said.

The crash happened around 4:30am near Sarkarpara, in front of the Bonpara Police Investigation Centre. The RP Paribahan night coach was heading from the south towards Chapainawabganj, while the truck was travelling from Panchagarh towards Jhenaidah. Both drivers died.

The death toll moved during the morning as hospitals updated their counts. Prothom Alo reported 13 deaths, while Dhaka Tribune put the figure at 14. Several of the injured were in critical condition and were sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, so the number could rise.

Sub-Inspector Shamim Hossain of the Bonpara police investigation centre said early information suggested the truck was in the left lane when the speeding bus hit it while trying to overtake other vehicles. A passenger, Abdus Salam, said the bus was overcrowded, with people standing in the aisle, and that it was moving fast.

Natore Deputy Commissioner Sumoni Akter said the bus did not have a valid fitness certificate. Records at the district office of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority showed the certificate expired on 13 May this year, although the route permit runs to 2028. The police superintendent, Shariful Haque, said action would be taken against vehicles running without valid fitness papers.

The district administration formed a seven-member committee led by Additional District Magistrate Abul Hayat to establish the cause. It includes police, BRTA and health department officials. The deputy commissioner announced Tk 25,000 for each bereaved family, and local MP and parliament whip Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu said the prime minister would also provide assistance.

The injured were taken to Baraigram Upazila Health Complex, Natore Sadar Hospital, nearby clinics and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The bodies were kept at Natore Sadar Hospital morgue.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami expressed grief and said the crash exposed repeated failures in traffic management. Its secretary general, Mia Golam Parwar, called for removing unfit vehicles from the roads, action against transport syndicates and better enforcement against unqualified drivers.

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