Deadly Bus Crash in Natore Kills 12 as Helper Drove and Driver Slept

A catastrophic road accident in Natore, Bangladesh claimed twelve lives this week when an unfit bus whose driver had fallen asleep and left a helper at the wheel collided head-on with a truck — a tragedy that reignited demands for stricter road safety enforcement on Bangladesh's highways.

Natore Crash Kills 12: Helper Drove as Driver Slept

Twelve people died and several others were critically injured when a bus collided head-on with a truck on a national highway in Natore district, Bangladesh, in one of the deadliest road accidents in the region in recent months. Investigators quickly established that the bus driver had been asleep at the time of impact and had handed control to his helper, who had no professional driving licence or formal training. The collision occurred in the early hours of the morning when traffic was light but road visibility was poor, and rescue teams faced challenges reaching the site quickly due to the remote location. Families of the victims gathered at the accident scene and at local hospitals, with authorities confirming that compensation procedures under Bangladesh's legal framework had been initiated for the bereaved. [4]

Bus Had No Fitness Clearance for Five Months, Officials Confirm

A formal investigation into the Natore bus crash revealed that the vehicle involved had been operating without a valid fitness clearance certificate for the past five months, in direct violation of Bangladesh's motor vehicle regulations. Officials from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority confirmed that the bus owner had repeatedly failed to present the vehicle for mandatory inspection, yet it had continued to run on intercity routes carrying paying passengers. The revelation prompted fresh calls from road safety advocates for a crackdown on operators who routinely circumvent fitness and licensing requirements, with some groups pointing to systemic failures in enforcement that allow unroadworthy vehicles to operate with impunity. The Bangladesh Supreme Court had issued directives in earlier years on improving road safety compliance, and advocates said this latest incident demonstrated how those orders remained poorly implemented on the ground. [2]

Eyewitnesses Describe Moment of Impact in Deadly Natore Collision

Eyewitnesses who saw the Natore bus-truck collision described a terrifying scene in which the bus crossed into the oncoming lane at high speed before striking the truck with tremendous force, leaving the two vehicles locked together in a crumpled mass across the road. Survivors recounted that there was almost no warning before the impact and that many passengers were asleep or resting when the crash occurred. Local residents were among the first to reach the scene and began pulling survivors from the wreckage before ambulances arrived, with several community members sustaining minor injuries during the rescue effort. The Business Standard Bangladesh reported that video footage shared by bystanders showed the full extent of the collision’s force, prompting widespread public anger on social media directed at both the vehicle operator and the authorities responsible for ensuring road safety compliance in the district. [3]

Sources: [4] The Daily Star · [2] The Daily Star · [3] The Business Standard