HC asks govt to explain why passengers’ safety not be ensured

The High Court Division on Wednesday directed the government to explain why it would not be asked to ensure safety of public transport passengers by controlling reckless driving and strict enforcement of traffic rules.
The government was also directed to explain why it would not be asked to stop road accidents to ensure passengers’ safety.
The court in a ruling asked Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation chairman and the owners of Sajan Paribahan to explain why they would not be asked to pay Tk one crore as compensations to Rajib Hasan who lost his right arm in an accident caused as a result of their speeding buses trying to overtake each other at the Karwan Bazaar Crossing on Tuesday.
He was standing a packed BRTC double decker when his right arm, severed from the wrist, got stuck in the Sajan Paribahan bus.
Passersby was awe struck to see his severed palm and fingers stuck on the speeding Sajan Paribahan bus. 
The court also asked the BTRC chairman and the owners of Sajan Paribahan to bear the full treatment costs of Rajib, a 2nd year BBA student at the Government Titumir College.
Passersby immediately took Rajib to the Shamorita Hospital where his right arm was amputated.
Due to its high charges, relatives shifted him to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The respondents-Secretaries of the ministries of home and road transport and communication, inspector general of police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, DMP’s additional commissioner (traffic), the BRTC chairman and the owners of Sajan Paribahan were asked to reply to the ruling within four weeks. 
A bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Hoque passed the order after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal.
On Wednesday afternoon, the police arrested the drivers of both the speeding buses.
Police said that the drivers would be produced in the court today. 
On Tuesday, Rajib Hasan was standing on the rear gate of a packed BRTC double-decker on his way to college when a Sajan Paribahan bus was overtaking it and in the friction his right hand was severed from the wrist while the upper arm also suffered serious injuries exposing the bones. 
Rajib’s maternal aunt Jahanara Begum told New Age, ‘We shifted him to the DMCH as Shamorita charged over Tk one lakh on the first day.’
She said that her nephew lost both his parents.
She said he lives at a mess at Jatrabari and ‘We can’t afford such costly treatment.’
Shahbagh police station inspector (investigation) Zafar Ali told New Age that they arrested BRTC bus driver Wahid and Sajan Paribahan’s bus driver Khorshed after Rajib himself lodged a case with the police station.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net