Fatal Accident Sparks Violent Protest in Karandighi, Police Vehicles Vandalised

Karandighi block in North Dinajpur became a heated flashpoint on Friday, February 13, 2026, following a road fatality that caused widespread public anger, road blockades and vandalism. What started as a tragic road accident in the early morning, grew to violent demonstrations with residents claiming that there was negligence by the administration in dealing with irresponsible speeding along the National Highway. The accident happened at the beginning of the morning into the Raghavpur Jaripour region in Jarip More. Local sources said that a speeding four-wheeler that was a small bike struck a motorcycle killing the rider instantly. The victim was known as Mohammad Lalchand who lived in the neighbouring locality of Kamartore. According to eyewitnesses, it was a high-speed vehicle, and new questions emerge regarding the use of the monitoring and enforcement of the traffic in the area. The death of Lalchand reached wide publicity in the locality and anger started to mount up among locals.

In a few hours, the people in the area congregated at the place of the accident and defied by closing the National Highway. Protesters said that the authorities had not acted upon recurring complaints of speeding vehicles. It was alleged that the absence of speed breakers, traffic police and stringent policing had made the stretch a danger zone. The situation went out of control when the protesters allegedly vandalised the four-wheeler that was used in the accident. The blockade caused delays in the traffic movement of various hours and was a nuisance to the commuters and transport services along the busy highway. The emblems were put up that required responsibility and administrative response in order to stop additional tragedies.

The anger of the crowd changed towards the law enforcement people when the police of Karandighi Police Station arrived to control the situation and clear the road. Some of the police cars were reported to have been destroyed in the ensuing commotion. Critics of the government felt that the government was passive and not taking proper precautions even following earlier accidents. This was followed by the deployment of a huge number of police forces in the region to stabilise the situation and clear the crowd. The police did their best to ensure that the traffic was moving and that it did not further worsen the situation. This is supposed to be done with senior officials reviewing the situation that resulted in the accident and the consequent unrest. The accident has again raised issues of safety and control of traffic along the highways in the countryside. With ongoing investigations, the local people are pushing even more stringent enforcement, means of speed control, and responsibility to the authorities to make sure that such tragedies do not happen again.