AD upholds order to Suprabhat Paribahan to pay Tk 10 lakh to Abrar’s parents

The Appellate Division on Tuesday upheld the High Court Division’s directive to Suprabhat Paribahan to pay Tk 10 lakh within seven days as ‘exigency cost’ to parents of Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury who was killed by its speeding bus on a zebra crossing on the Pragati Sarani in the capital on March 19.
Abrar was a first year student of Bangladesh University of Professionals.
A four-judge bench of Appellate Division led by chief justice Syed Mahmud Hossain also dismissed Suprabhat Paribahan’s application seeking stay on the HC directive. 
Supreme Court lawyer Ruhul Quddus Kazal filed the PIL writ petition on the Abrar issue.
In a separate development, Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik Samiti filed an application in the Appellate Division seeking stay on the High Court Division’s directive to the Green Line Paribahan to pay Tk 50 lakh as exigency cost to road accident victim Russel Sarkar by April 10 or stop selling tickets of April 11.
Russel Sarker, 26, lost his left leg after a Green Line Paribahan bus ran over him at the Dholaipar end of Mayor Hanif Flyover in the capital on April 28, 2018.
Appellate Division’s chamber judge Justice Md Nuruzzaman deferred until the afternoon today hearing the application of the bus owners’ association.
Advocate-on-record Nahid Sultana sought adjournment of the hearing for one day after association’s lawyer Abdul Matin Khasru returned the brief saying, ‘ My conscience does not permit me to stand against the HC order to pay compensation to accident victim Russel.’
The owners association filed the application after the Appellate Division dismissed Geen Line Paribahan’s application seeking stay on the HC order to it to pay the compensation to Russel.
Russel from Palashbari, Gaibandha was on the wheels of a microbus of a rent a car service when it was hit from the rear by Green Line bus when he came down from the microbus and demanded to why the Green Line bus driver hit his vehicle when altercations ensued between the two and at one point the Green Line bus sped away knocking Russel down when his left leg was smashed.
Russel’s left leg had to be amputated from above his knee, making it necessary for him to get an artificial limb.
On March 12, the High Court directed the Green Line Paribahan to pay by March 31 Tk 50 lakh to Russel Sarker.
Earlier, in a ruling, the HC on May 14, 2018 asked Green Line to explain why it would not be directed to pay Tk one crore to Russel as compensation.
Since March 31, Green Line missed three deadlines to pay the compensation to Russel.
On behalf of Russel his neighbour and Supreme Court lawyer Umme Kulsum Smrity, a former MP, filed the public interest litigation writ petition

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net