The deceased were identified as Rafiquzzman, assistant traffic sub-inspector of Bhatiapara Highway Police Station, and Selim Hossain Bepari, a bus helper and son of Abdul Hamid Bepari of Sonadanga Police Station area in Khulna city.
Although the identities of the injured could not be known yet, all of them were admitted to Gopalganj 250-bed General Hospital.
Quoting locals, officer-in-charge of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station Mir Md Sajedur Rahman said a Khulna-bound bus of Baleshwar Paribahan, coming from Dhaka’s Jatrabari, rammed into a parked truck from behind in the Gopinath area around 4am.
Moments later, three more buses, including one from Arman Paribahan, and a microbus ploughed into the accident-hit bus from behind, leading to further damage and casualties, reports UNB.
The traffic police officer and the bus helper died on the spot, while the injured were rushed to hospital, the OC said.
Vehicular movement on the highway resumed about two hours later after the wreckage was cleared, he added.