Manikganj, Bangladesh:
Award-winning filmmaker Tareq Masud was killed in a road accident at suburban Manikganj in central Bangladesh on Saturday, police said.
Besides Masud, CEO of ATN News Mishuk Munier was killed along with three others in the accident that took place on Saturday afternoon on Dhaka-Aricha highway when a bus collided head-on with Masud's micro bus.
Masud's wife Catherine also sustained injuries in the accident. Masud was critically acclaimed for directing films like Muktir Gaan (1995) and Matir Moina (2002).
"The five were killed instantly while three others including Tareq Masud's wife Catharine were sent to at Dhaka Medical College Hospital with critical wounds," additional police superintendent of Manikganj, Zakir Hossain Majumdar said.
"The accident took place at a point where the highway took a critical turn... apparently the bus was on high-speed despite heavy downpour as it hit the micro bus that was coming to Dhaka," Majumdar said.
Police said Catherine, also a filmmaker, and the two other injured were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better medical care as referred by doctors at Manikganj Sadar Hospital where they were initially treated.
The three other victims who died on the spot include, driver of the micro bus identified as Mustafiz Manish Rafique, an associate of Masud who survived the crash receiving minor injuries, later told newsmen that their team was returning from Manikganj after visiting a shooting spot for their proposed feature film "Matir Phool" at Shaojana area at Shibalaya upazila.
"We were nine in the team who were in the micro bus... I miraculously escaped the death while they died," Rafique said.
Police said they seized the bus heading towards Chuadanga from Dhaka but its driver fled the scene immediately after the crash while the passengers were safe.