The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Razia Begum and Chairman of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Siddiqur Rahman were killed in a road accident on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Uthuli Upazila of Manikganj yesterday.

Police and eyewitness sources said, both the secretary and the BSCIC Chairman (Additional Secretary) were killed at around 7:00 AM when they were going to Gopalganj from Dhaka to join a programme which the Prime Minister was expected to attend.

The accident occurred when a bus from opposite direction hit the Pajero Jeep carrying the victims at Uthuli-Paturia turning, leaving both of them critically injured, police said.

They were rushed to Uthuli Upazila Health Complex at first and then shifted to Manikganj Sadar Hospital as their condition deteriorated. The duty doctors declared them dead as soon as they were taken to the hospital, police added. Four passengers in the Pajero Jeep sustained serious injuries and were taken to the Manikganj Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared Razia and Siddiqur dead, he added.

The driver of the jeep Fazlul Haque, 40, and bodyguard Fazlu, 50, were later rushed to National Orthopaedics Hospital in Dhaka for better treatment.

The deceased were going to Gopalganj to attend the programme which was supposed to be attended by the Prime Minister, the police official said.

Munshi Shahabuddin Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner of Manikganj went to the spot and visited the deceased.

The body of the Razia Begum was taken to her residence in Dhaka and her namaz-e-janaza was held at 3:00pm at the mosque adjoining to Ganabhaban.

Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shibalay Police Station told The New Nation that both the vehicles have been taken to Barangail highway camp with the help of a tow-truck.

Meanwhile, President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the deaths of Women Affairs secretary Razia Begum and BSCIC Chairman Siddiqur Rahman.

In a message of condolence, the Prime Minister prayed for the peace of the two departed souls and conveyed sympathy to the members of bereaved families.

The Prime Minister also visited the Ganabhaban Complex residence of Razia Begum in the afternoon.

She stayed at the deceased's residence for a while and consoled the members of the bereaved family.