Tk 5 lakh given, rest in a month

Russel Sarkar, who lost his left leg after a Green Line bus ran him over, walking with crutches in the corridor of the High Court yesterday. Photo: collected

The Green Line Paribahan yesterday handed Tk 5 lakh to Russel Sarkar who lost his left leg after a bus of the company ran him over in April last year.

Green Line owner Hazi Alauddin handed over a cheque of Tk 5 lakh to Russel before the High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader during the hearing of a writ petition that sought adequate compensation for the victim and a stop to reckless driving.

The court also asked the Green Line owner to pay another Tk 45 lakh to Russel in a month and bear all of his treatment costs.

Alauddin told the court that he was incurring losses and was unable to comply with the court order.

He said he was ill, his elder son was blind and his wife was suffering from kidney damage and prayed to the court to exonerate him from paying the compensation.

Alauddin appeared before the court after the bench yesterday morning ordered the transport owner to pay some of the compensation to Russel by 3:00pm.

After Alauddin appeared before the bench, defence lawyer Ozi Ullah told the court that his client could not pay the compensation as per the court's order as he had been ill and was abroad.

The court expressed deep dissatisfaction saying that the Green Line neither compensated for his loss nor showed any humanity to him.

On April 4, the HC ordered Green Line to pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel by April 10 and said it would pass an order for confiscation of its buses otherwise.

The HC also ordered the company not to sell bus tickets for April 11 if it failed to compensate the victim.

Russel, 26, who was a driver, lost his left leg from below the knee after he was knocked down by a Green Line bus near Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover in the capital on April 28 last year.

An altercation broke out between Russel and the bus driver over rear-ending his car. As Russel chased down the bus, its driver ran him over.

During hearing of the same writ petition, the HC bench on March 31 directed Green Line to pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel by April 3 and asked the company to inform it by April 4 after complying with the order.

The Appellate Division on March 31 upheld the March 12 HC order that asked Green Line to pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel.

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Compensation or confiscation

Umme Kulsum Smrity filed the writ petition with the HC on May 13 last year, seeking necessary order to compensate Russel and to stop reckless driving.

The HC the next day issued a rule asking the Green Line and the government authorities concerned to explain why they would not be ordered to pay a compensation of Tk 1 crore to Russel.

Advocate Khandker Shamsul Haque Reza appeared for the writ petitioner while Ozi Ullah defended the Green Line.

Talking to The Daily Star, Shamsul had earlier said a case was filed in connection with the accident and the bus driver was out on bail.

Russel said he has faith on the HC.