Child killed in Barishal road accident; BM College students block road

A 10-year-old child was killed in Barishal after being hit by a battery-powered auto-rickshaw this morning, prompting students of Government BM College to block the road in protest.

The accident occurred around 11:30am today, while the students began their road blockade at around 2:30pm. As of 5:00pm, the protest was still ongoing.

The deceased, Jannatul Mawa, was a resident of Patuakhali Sadar Upazila and the daughter of Md Nizam Uddin. She had come to visit a relative's house in the BM College Road area.

According to locals, Jannatul and a classmate were crossing the road after buying chips from a shop when a speeding three-wheeler lost control and hit her.

Locals rushed her to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in critical condition, but the doctor on duty declared her dead.

Her body has been sent to the hospital morgue for an autopsy.

In response to the accident, BM College students blocked the road in front of the college, disrupting traffic. The protesters also dismantled several floating shops set up along the road.

Around 5:30pm, Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Mijanur Rahman said, "We have repeatedly requested the agitators not to block the road, but they are demanding the installation of road dividers and CCTV cameras immediately."

"We are in discussions with the protesting students, but no progress has been made yet," he added.

The students are still blocking the road as of 6:30pm.