A tragic road accident near the eastern end of the Jamuna Bridge claimed the lives of at least 15 people early Monday as a rod-laden truck carrying passengers overturned on the highway in Tangail’s Kalihati upazila.

The victims were travelling towards northern districts ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, many of them low-income workers returning home to celebrate the festival with their families.
The accident occurred around 4:30am in the Saratail Dakshinpara area on the Dhaka-Tangail highway. According to police, the truck lost control and plunged into a roadside ditch before overturning, leaving passengers trapped beneath heavy iron rods.

Tangail Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shamsul Alam Sarkar said at least 15 people died on the spot while several others sustained injuries. The injured were rescued and taken to Tangail General Hospital for treatment.
Officials believe the driver may have fallen asleep while driving, leading to the devastating crash.

Authorities said most of the victims were day labourers and hawkers who had chosen the risky journey on top of rod cargo due to cheaper travel costs during the Eid rush.
Meanwhile, grief engulfed Naogaon’s Manda upazila where six victims from Rajendrabati village were laid to rest together following a joint funeral prayer held in a paddy field on Monday morning.

The funeral took place beside Rajendrabati Government Primary School, drawing hundreds of mourners, relatives and local residents.
The six deceased were identified as Tarek, 21, Abdul Barek, 24, Badsha Mia, 28, Sohag, 21, Sagar, 22, and Robiul, 26.
Villagers said they had never witnessed so many funeral prayers together in the area before. The tragedy has cast a deep shadow of mourning across the community ahead of Eid celebrations.

Local administration officials said three other victims from nearby villages — including two brothers from Pakuria village and another man from Murshidpur — were also killed in the same accident. Their funerals and burials were completed earlier.
After the crash, traffic congestion briefly developed on the highway during rescue operations, though vehicular movement later returned to normal.