Two people have died after a cement-laden truck hit a bicycle in Meherpur.

The accident took place near the Chadbil Impact Hospital on the Meherpur-Chuadanga highway around 9am on Monday, said Meherpur Additional Police Superintendent Abdur Karim.

One of the dead was identified as Hasan Ali, 19, from Chadbil village.

Babul Akter, who witnessed the accident, said he was riding a rickshaw-van toward Meherpur. Two people riding a bicycle were in front of him. A large ten-wheel truck veered out of control, struck the bicycle and then crashed into a tree. Babul and others apprehended the truck driver and informed the police.

”The driver dozed off and that caused the accident. Truck driver Babul Hossain hailed from Magura,” said ASP Abdur Karim.

The two on the bicycle were going to cut grass and bring it home for their cattle, said Ruhul Amin, an officer of the Meherpur Fire Service Station. A cement-laden truck coming from Dhaka hit them from the rear and killed them on the spot, he said.

Hasan’s father Liton Ali said he asked Hasan not to go to the field to collect grass as they had enough cattle feed at home. But Hasan insisted he would bring fresh grass for the cattle and then go to the city for Eid shopping.

“My healthy son took the cycle and left home. Within half an hour, I have to come here to collect his body. How can I bear this loss?”

The bodies have been kept at the morgue in Meherpur General Hospital, said ASP Abdur Karim. Police also seized the bicycle as evidence. The bodies will be handed over to the families after an autopsy.

Police were working to identify the other victim killed in the accident and are also preparing to take necessary legal action against the truck driver.