A school student was killed after being hit by a sand-laden, shallow, engine-made, illegal trolley in Kushtia that sparked protests from locals who later set the vehicle on fire and put barricades on the highway for hours.
The incident took place around 8:30 am on Sunday in front of Pratiti School in Kushtia town.
The deceased student, Ibrahim Hossain, was a playgroup student at Pratiti School. Hailed at Bottail village in sadar upazila, the deceased student is son of Mohammad Sona
Witness said that Ibrahim was crossing the road with his grandmother, Anowara, 50 Begum, when the trolley coming from the direction of Mojompur Gate hit him in front of the school. The child died on the spot, while his grandmother sustained serious injuries.
Following the accident, school students, parents, and locals staged a protest, blocking the Kushtia-Khulna highway.
In the course of the protest, they set fire to the trolley, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Officer-in-Charge of Kushtia Model Police Station Shehabur Rahman stated that the body was recovered from the school and sent to Kushtia General Hospital morgue.
He also mentioned that traffic resumed on the highway after an hour.
Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Rifatul Islam visited the scene and confirmed that such vehicles are illegal and not permitted to operate on the roads.