Two bus drivers, an assistant jailed for life for killing two students

A Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced three people to life-term imprisonment in the case filed over a road accident that killed Abdul Karim Rajib, and Dia Khanam Mim, students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College, in the capital in July last year.

The convicts are drivers of the buses — Masum Billah and Zobair Hossain Sumon, and Zobair’s assistant — Kazi Asad. Of them, Masum Billah and Zobair Hossain Sumon were behind the bar while Kazi Asad was still absconding.

Dia’s father Jahangir Alam Fakir filed the case with the Cantonment police against six people on July 29, 2018, the incident of the day.

They are — Shahadat Hossain and Jahangir Alam, owners of the buses; Masum Billah and Zobair Hossain Sumon, drivers of the buses; and Enayet Hossain and Kazi Asad, assistants of the bus drivers.

The court acquitted Jahangir Alam and Enayet Hossain while the trial proceedings against Shahdat, now on bail, remained stayed following a High Court order delivered on November 7, 2018.

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Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court judge KM Emrul Kayesh delivered the verdict on Sunday in presence of the accused who were already detained.

Out of the total 41 witnesses in the case, 37 gave their testimonies before the court.

On September 6 in 2018, Detective Branch of police inspector Kazi Shariful Islam submitted charge-sheet against the accused.

The Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka framed charges against them on October 25, 2018, and the trial began on November 1, 2018.

The court, on November 14, 2019, fixed December 1 to pass the verdict after completion of the trial process.

On July 29, 2018, Rajib, 18, and Dia, 17, were run over and killed while some 15 to 20 other students were injured during a race between two buses of Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan.

The incident sparked countrywide students’ protests for road safety and following the protests, the Jatiya Sangsad on September 19, 2018 passed the Road Transport Bill into an act replacing the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983.

However, the law is yet to be fully implemented.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net